interjection

[ in-ter-jek-shuhn ]
See synonyms for interjection on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. the act of interjecting.

  2. something interjected, as a remark.

  1. the utterance of a word or phrase expressive of emotion; the uttering of an exclamation.

  2. Grammar.

    • any member of a class of words expressing emotion, distinguished in most languages by their use in grammatical isolation, as Hey! Oh! Ouch! Ugh!

    • any other word or expression so used, as Good grief! Indeed!

Origin of interjection

1
1400–50; late Middle English interjeccio(u)n<Latin interjectiōn- (stem of interjectiō). See interject, -ion

Other words from interjection

  • in·ter·jec·tion·al, in·ter·jec·tur·al [in-ter-jek-cher-uhl], /ˌɪn tərˈdʒɛk tʃər əl/, adjective
  • in·ter·jec·tion·al·ly, adverb

Words Nearby interjection

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use interjection in a sentence

  • This again was used equally to denote a potentate of either sex, until at last we find the interjection dame!

  • She flashed a glance and an interjection upon him which checked the words upon his lips.

    Mysterious Mr. Sabin | E. Phillips Oppenheim
  • Mr. Morsfield renewed his interjection vehemently, for an apology to his politeness in breaking from Mrs. Pagnell.

  • With this final characteristic interjection, Leslie sauntered out of the instructors room without troubling to say good-bye.

  • The strange varying tones of musical interjection and interrogation were pitiful to hear.

    Rhoda Fleming, Complete | George Meredith

British Dictionary definitions for interjection

interjection

/ (ˌɪntəˈdʒɛkʃən) /


noun
  1. a word or remark expressing emotion; exclamation

  2. the act of interjecting

  1. a word or phrase that is characteristically used in syntactic isolation and that usually expresses sudden emotion; expletive: Abbreviation: interj.

Derived forms of interjection

  • interjectional, interjectory or interjectural, adjective
  • interjectionally, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for interjection

interjection

A brief exclamation, often containing only one word: “Oh!” “Gee!” “Good grief!” “Ouch!”

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.