Exclaiming

/ɪkˈskleɪmɪŋ/ verb

Definition

Shouting or crying out suddenly with strong emotion, like surprise or joy.

Etymology

From Latin 'exclamare' (ex- 'out' + clamare 'to cry'), meaning to cry out loudly. The word evolved through Old French into English, maintaining its sense of vocally expressing intense feeling.

Kelly Says

Exclaiming is one of the oldest ways humans expressed emotion before writing existed—every culture has exclamation sounds like 'ouch!' or 'wow!' that bypass our rational brain and come straight from instinct.

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.