interjection

noun

in·​ter·​jec·​tion ˌin-tər-ˈjek-shən 

1

: an ejaculatory utterance usually lacking grammatical connection: such as

a

: a word or phrase used in exclamation (such as Heavens! Dear me!)

b

: a cry or inarticulate utterance (such as Alas! ouch! phooey! ugh!) expressing an emotion

2

a

: the act of uttering exclamations : ejaculation

b

: the act of putting in between : interposition

3

: something that is interjected or that interrupts

Did you know?

What is an interjection?

An interjection is a word or phrase that is grammatically independent from the words around it, and mainly expresses feeling rather than meaning.

Oh, what a beautiful house!

Uh-oh, this looks bad.

Well, it's time to say good night.

Actually, um, it's not my dog.

Shoot. I thought I'd fixed that.

I can't believe I lost the key! Ugh!

Interjections are common in speech and are much more common in electronic messages than in other types of writing.

Synonyms

• cry
• ejaculation
• exclamation

Examples of interjection in a Sentence

interjections such as “oh,” “alas,” and “wow”

a chorus of angry interjections greeted the announcement that our flight would be delayed

Recent Examples on the Web

The director illustrates much of this through long, patient takes, often keeping distance with interjections of a slow push in towards Lee’s face, studying him in meditation as the the sounds of the natural world quietly score the scene, as though the two are in communion. —Kambole Campbell, IndieWire, 5 Nov. 2024

The interjection came as King Charles and Queen Camilla visited the Australian capital Canberra to meet the nation’s leaders, including Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. —Hilary Whiteman, CNN, 21 Oct. 2024

This big chunk of the episode, before the two big reveals — the verdict and the killer — is mercifully free of flashbacks, dreams, and interjections. —Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 24 July 2024

Fully Emotional Conversation Current services often miss non-textual information like tone, pauses and interjections due to their conventional approach to audio interaction. —Zack Zhuang, Forbes, 30 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Kids Definition

interjection

noun

in·​ter·​jec·​tion ˌint-ər-ˈjek-shən 

1

: an interjecting of something

2

: something interjected

3

: a word or cry expressing sudden or strong feeling

interjectional

-shnəl

-shən-ᵊl

adjective

interjectionally

-shnəl-ē

-shən-ᵊl-ē

adverb