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Questions tagged [interjections]

Words such as "oh", or "wow", which are used to indicate an isolated emotion on the part of the speaker, without an explicit grammatical relationship to the rest of the sentence.

An interjection is a word which indicates some emotion or reaction on the part of the speaker. Conventionally, interjections have no grammatical relationship to the rest of the sentence in which they appear, and they are disfavored in formal writing.

Some common interjections include:

  • Oh!
  • Well!
  • Wow!
  • Man!

In addition, many swear words and vulgarities are primarily used as interjections.

98 questions
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What is it called when an interjection is inserted inside another word?

Typically (as far as I can think), the interject is something vulgar. For example: Radio-bloody-active (from an episode of Family Guy) Ri-god-damn-diculuous Un-fucking-believable" What is the word for this construct?
Mark Rushakoff
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4 answers

Usage of "as if" as interjection

My question concerns the usage of "as if" as an idiomatic interjection. The references I have consulted (etymonline, online dictionaries, etc.) seem to agree that "as if" is used in this context to convey incredulity or doubt. This is how I have…
user22138
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2 answers

Origin of "Period" and "Full Stop" as Interjections

In North America and the UK, "period" and "full stop" are used as interjections "to indicate that a decision is irrevocable or that a point is no longer discussable" (sense 23, here). For example, "We're done, period" or "We need more people to join…
DyingIsFun
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Fitting interjection for "that's nothing"

What would be an appropriate interjection to express little bit of disdain, like I made it in 30 minutes. Aaah, that's nothing, my friend did it in 15. Is there something more fitting than "aaah"?
Tomas
  • 839
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Use of "measles" as an interjection

I have a friend from Illinois USA who uses measles as an exclamation of frustration or disappointment. For example, Measles! My flight was just canceled. I find this odd. Is it commonly used this way?
Fixee
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Are inserts and interjections the same thing?

I'm reading Biber's Longman Student Grammar of Spoken and Written English. At some point the author lists families of words, which are: lexical words, function words and inserts. And then, after the unit devoted to function words he describes a…
user365869
  • 123
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6 answers

An interjection/expression for expressing nostalgia

What is an interjection/expression to use to express nostalgia? I was listening to a song which reminded me of my adolescent days, feeling nostalgic for those times. Are there kinds of nostalgia? What interjection/expression can be used for…
Vijayanand Settin
  • 131
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Is 'hmmm?' an interjection? If not, what is it?

I hope this isn't obvious (although maybe it's better if it is)! I'm working with an interview transcript and I have a participant who says 'Hmmm?' in a way that I want to discuss. Unfortunately, I don't know how to refer to it. Here's an example of…
Heather Perkins
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4 answers

What is the current, popular equivalent of "So be it!"?

That nice exclamation expressing resignation seems rather old fashioned, right? The Beatles sang "let it be" 60 years ago, is this still current? What do you say nowadays in this context, is there any common or slang equivalent ?
user157860
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Can I use an interjection like "by God" to imply I'm talking about God later in the sentence?

Can I use the phrase "by God" to imply I'm talking about God, while also using it as an interjection? So e.g.: By God, it was a difficult thing to do, who has long since given up on me.
user99677
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Is there another interjection that can be used in this example?

'O people!' Can anyone give me an alternative interjection for 'O' in this example?
nicholas ainsworth
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Is the expression "By the gods!" an interjection?

In the work of art it reads as follows: "No, by the gods! Would that it had been!"
user170800
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Is "*now*" acting as an interjection rather than a present of time?

Is "now" an interjection in this sentence: "Now, that's a fast car!" I get pretty confused on deciding if "now" is an acting as an interjection or present time. I think it is an interjection, but I just want to make sure so I don't look dumb. Am I…
Tim
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What are some non-expletives interjections for "I almost forgot [something]"

Just before leaving a conversation with someone, what non-expletives interjection could I use instead of the sentence "I almost forgot ..." if I want to sound apologetic? For instance: Could you please move my car from the entrance?... I almost…
rraallvv
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