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

But I am very good at turning a question mark into an exclamation point.

From The Daily Beast

(the exclamation point is part of the title), and may be best known for singing and dancing in a handful of episodes of Glee.

From The Daily Beast

All this in front of a huge neon exclamation point and the entire scene is depicted in a painting hanging at the motel room.

From The Daily Beast

A majority on the left will reply with a firm no—no, exclamation point—and that is part of the problem.

From The Daily Beast

He even went so far as to punctuate the scoop with an exclamation point!

From The Daily Beast

My four days in Philadelphia have just been one exclamation point after another!

From Project Gutenberg

The emphatic ker-blim of a rifle a hundred yards off furnished a vocal exclamation point to further accent the comment.

From Project Gutenberg

Barlow's big fist crashed down on his desk in a tremendous exclamation point.

From Project Gutenberg

I know I've not honored you with so much as an exclamation point since my very first out-of-doors entry.

From Project Gutenberg

And Ermine had to move away quickly to avoid another exclamation point, but such little appreciation warmed him.

From Project Gutenberg