exclamation mark

UK/ˌɛks.kləˈmeɪ.ʃn̩ ˌmɑːk/Canada, US/ˌɛks.kləˈmeɪ.ʃn̩ ˌmɑɹk/

noun

The punctuation mark "!", generally used to denote excitement, shock, or surprise.

“The excessive use of exclamation marks devalues their effect, but is typical of concise genres such as cartoons, not reference works!”

Similar
astonisherbangecphonemeexclamationexclamation pointinterjection pointmark of admirationmark of exclamation
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Meanings

nounexclamation mark (plural exclamation marks)

plural exclamation marks

  1. The punctuation mark "!", generally used to denote excitement, shock, or surprise.

    The excessive use of exclamation marks devalues their effect, but is typical of concise genres such as cartoons, not reference works!

    2 more examples

    Subject: Fire... Dear Sir-stroke-Madam: Fire. Exclamation mark. Fire. Exclamation mark. Help me. Exclamation mark. 123 Carendon Road. Looking forward to hearing from you. All the best, Maurice Moss.

    2006 February 3, Graham Linehan, The IT Crowd, Season 1, Episode 2

    Traditionally, the exclamation mark has been used sparingly, especially in formal writing.

    2021, Claire Cock-Starkey, Hyphens & Hashtags, Bodleian Library, page 40

    Synonyms: astonisher, bang, ecphoneme, exclamation, exclamation point, interjection point, mark of admiration, mark of exclamation

Synonyms & antonyms

nounThe punctuation mark "!", generally used to denote excitement, shock, or surprise.

Similar
astonisherbangecphonemeexclamationexclamation pointinterjection pointmark of admirationmark of exclamationnote of admirationnote of interjectionplingscreamershriek

More synonyms by meaning

nouna punctuation mark (‘!’) used after an exclamation

Similar
exclamation point
Broader
punctuationpunctuation mark
Also see
bangecphonemeexclamationexclamation pointmark of exclamation

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Translations

Afrikaans uitroepteken
  • uitroeptekenpunctuation mark “!”
Arabic عَلَامَةْ تَعَجُّب, عَلَامَةْ هُتَاف
  • عَلَامَةْ تَعَجُّب (ʕalāmat taʕajjub)punctuation mark “!”
  • عَلَامَةْ هُتَاف (ʕalāmat hutāf)punctuation mark “!”
Bengali বিস্ময়সূচক চিহ্ন
  • বিস্ময়সূচক চিহ্ন (biśśõẏśucok cihno)punctuation mark “!”
Bulgarian удиви́телна, удиви́телен знак
  • удиви́телна (udivítelna)punctuation mark “!”
  • удиви́телен знак (udivítelen znak)punctuation mark “!”
Catalan signe d'exclamació, signe d'admiració
  • signe d'exclamaciópunctuation mark “!”
  • signe d'admiraciópunctuation mark “!”
Chinese Cantonese 感歎號 /感叹号
  • 感歎號 /感叹号 (gam² taan³ hou⁶)punctuation mark “!”
Chinese Mandarin 感嘆號 /感叹号, 嘆號 /叹号
  • 感嘆號 /感叹号 (gǎntànhào)punctuation mark “!”
  • 嘆號 /叹号 (tànhào)punctuation mark “!”
Czech vykřičník
  • vykřičníkpunctuation mark “!”
Danish udråbstegn
  • udråbstegnpunctuation mark “!”
Dutch uitroepteken
  • uitroeptekenpunctuation mark “!”
Esperanto krisigno
  • krisignopunctuation mark “!”
Estonian hüüumärk
  • hüüumärkpunctuation mark “!”
Finnish huutomerkki
  • huutomerkkipunctuation mark “!”
French point d'exclamation
  • point d'exclamationpunctuation mark “!”
German Ausrufezeichen, Ausrufungszeichen
  • Ausrufezeichenpunctuation mark “!”
  • Ausrufungszeichenpunctuation mark “!”
  • Rufzeichenpunctuation mark “!”
Greek θαυμαστικό
  • θαυμαστικό (thavmastikó)punctuation mark “!”
Hebrew סִימַן קְרִיאָה
  • סִימַן קְרִיאָה (simán kri'á)punctuation mark “!”
Hindi विस्मयादिबोधक चिन्ह, विस्मयादिबोधक चिह्न
  • विस्मयादिबोधक चिन्ह (vismayādibodhak cinha)punctuation mark “!”
  • विस्मयादिबोधक चिह्न (vismayādibodhak cihna)punctuation mark “!”
Hungarian felkiáltójel
  • felkiáltójelpunctuation mark “!”
Icelandic upphrópunarmerki
  • upphrópunarmerkipunctuation mark “!”
Indonesian tanda seru
  • tanda serupunctuation mark “!”
Irish comhartha uaillbhreasa
  • comhartha uaillbhreasapunctuation mark “!”
Italian punto esclamativo
  • punto esclamativopunctuation mark “!”
Japanese 感嘆符, ビックリマーク
  • 感嘆符 (kantanfu)punctuation mark “!”
  • ビックリマーク (bikkurimāku)punctuation mark “!”
Korean 느낌표, 감탄부
  • 느낌표 (neukkimpyo)punctuation mark “!”
  • 감탄부 (gamtanbu)punctuation mark “!”
Latvian izsaukuma zīme
  • izsaukuma zīmepunctuation mark “!”
Lithuanian šauktukas
  • šauktukaspunctuation mark “!”
Malay tanda seru
  • tanda serupunctuation mark “!”
Māori tohu karanga, tohuhā
  • tohu karangapunctuation mark “!”
  • tohuhāpunctuation mark “!”
  • tohuohopunctuation mark “!”
Norwegian Bokmål utropstegn
  • utropstegnpunctuation mark “!”
Polish wykrzyknik
  • wykrzyknikpunctuation mark “!”
Portuguese ponto de exclamação
  • ponto de exclamaçãopunctuation mark “!”
Punjabi ਵਿਸਮਕ ਚਿੰਨ੍ਹ
  • ਵਿਸਮਕ ਚਿੰਨ੍ਹ (vismak cinnh)punctuation mark “!”
Romanian semn de exclamare, semn de exclamație
  • semn de exclamarepunctuation mark “!”
  • semn de exclamațiepunctuation mark “!”
Russian восклица́тельный знак
  • восклица́тельный знак (vosklicátelʹnyj znak)punctuation mark “!”
Scottish Gaelic clisg-phuing
  • clisg-phuingpunctuation mark “!”
Slovak výkričník
  • výkričníkpunctuation mark “!”
Spanish signo de exclamación, signo de admiración
  • signo de exclamaciónpunctuation mark “!”
  • signo de admiraciónpunctuation mark “!”
  • signo exclamativopunctuation mark “!”
  • signo exclamatoriopunctuation mark “!”
  • signo admirativopunctuation mark “!”
Swahili alama ya mshangao
  • alama ya mshangaopunctuation mark “!”
Swedish utropstecken
  • utropsteckenpunctuation mark “!”
Tagalog tandang padamdam
  • tandang padamdampunctuation mark “!”
Tamil வியப்புக்குறி, ஆச்சரியக்குறி
  • வியப்புக்குறி (viyappukkuṟi)punctuation mark “!”
  • ஆச்சரியக்குறி (āccariyakkuṟi)punctuation mark “!”
Thai อัศเจรีย์, เครื่องหมายตกใจ
  • อัศเจรีย์ (àt-sà-jee-rii)punctuation mark “!”
  • เครื่องหมายตกใจ (krʉ̂ʉang-mǎai-dtòk-jai)punctuation mark “!”
Turkish ünlem, ünlem işareti
  • ünlempunctuation mark “!”
  • ünlem işaretipunctuation mark “!”
Ukrainian окли́чний знак, знак о́клику
  • окли́чний знак (oklýčnyj znak)punctuation mark “!”
  • знак о́клику (znak óklyku)punctuation mark “!”
Urdu عَلامَتِ فُجائِیَّہ
  • عَلامَتِ فُجائِیَّہ ('alāmat-i fujāiyya)punctuation mark “!”
Vietnamese dấu chấm than
  • dấu chấm thanpunctuation mark “!”
Welsh ebychnod, rhyfeddnod
  • ebychnodpunctuation mark “!”
  • rhyfeddnodpunctuation mark “!”
Cite this entry
APA

exclamation mark. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/exclamation%20mark

MLA

“exclamation mark.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/exclamation%20mark. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “exclamation mark,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/exclamation%20mark.

Source: exclamation mark on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.