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exclamatory

/ɪkˈsklæməˌtɔri/
IPA guide

Other forms: exclamatorily

Something that's exclamatory is full of very strong emotion, like enthusiasm or surprise. Your grandmother might give an exclamatory cry when you arrive at her house unannounced.

You can express exclamatory praise for a movie you absolutely loved, or give an exclamatory gasp when you walk into your own surprise party. When something's exclamatory, it's like an exclamation, or a "sudden cry of emotion." Both words come from the Latin exclamare, "to call out," which consists of the prefix ex-, "out," and clamare, "cry or shout."

Definitions of exclamatory
  1. adjective
    sudden and strong
    synonyms: emphatic
    forceful
    characterized by or full of force or strength (often but not necessarily physical)
  2. adjective
    (of a sentence) expressing strong emotion and ending in an exclamation point
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