exclamation point

noun

1. the sign (!) used in writing after an exclamation.
2. this mark sometimes used in writing two or more times in succession to indicate intensity of emotion, loudness, etc.:

   Long live the Queen!!

3. this mark sometimes used without accompanying words in writing direct discourse to indicate a speaker's dumbfounded astonishment:

   “His wife just gave birth to quintuplets.”(!)

exclamation point

1. A punctuation mark (!) used after an abrupt and emphatic statement or after a command: “‘Help!’ he cried, as his boat floated toward the edge of Niagara Falls .”

Word History and Origins

Origin of exclamation point¹

First recorded in 1860–65

Example Sentences

Mr. Auld-Thomas says, “That really puts an exclamation point behind the statement that, no, we have not found everything, and yes, there’s a lot more to be discovered.”

From NewsForKids.net

“Really pleased,” Harbaugh said, raising his voice as a final exclamation point, “with a great team win. Great team effort.”

From Los Angeles Times

Pepi added the exclamation point with an insurance goal four minutes into stoppage time, taking a centering pass from Haji Wright in the middle of the box and beating Panamanian keeper Orlando Mosquera cleanly.

From Los Angeles Times

Hundreds of Californians weighed in, brandishing exclamation points like spears.

From Los Angeles Times

Stephen Curry put an emphatic exclamation point on his first Olympic Games, hitting four three-pointers in the last 2:57 to seal the win.

From Los Angeles Times