!

See also: ǃ [U+01C3 LATIN LETTER RETROFLEX CLICK], ⵑ [U+2D51 TIFINAGH LETTER TUAREG YANG], ¡ [U+00A1 INVERTED EXCLAMATION MARK], and Ị [U+1ECA LATIN CAPITAL LETTER I WITH DOT BELOW]

also !

! U+0021, ! EXCLAMATION MARK ← [U+0020] Basic Latin " → [U+0022]

Character variations

Text style	Emoji style
❕︎	❕️
Text style is forced with ⟨︎⟩ and emoji style with ⟨️⟩.
❕ U+2755, ❕ WHITE EXCLAMATION MARK ORNAMENT ← ❔ [U+2754] Dingbats ❖ → [U+2756]

Text style	Emoji style
❗︎	❗️
Text style is forced with ⟨︎⟩ and emoji style with ⟨️⟩.
❗ U+2757, ❗ HEAVY EXCLAMATION MARK SYMBOL ← ❖ [U+2756] Dingbats ❘ → [U+2758]

❢ U+2762, ❢ HEAVY EXCLAMATION MARK ORNAMENT ← ❡ [U+2761] Dingbats ❣ → [U+2763]

Text style	Emoji style
❣︎	❣️
Text style is forced with ⟨︎⟩ and emoji style with ⟨️⟩.
❣ U+2763, ❣ HEAVY HEART EXCLAMATION MARK ORNAMENT ← ❢ [U+2762] Dingbats ❤ → [U+2764]

︕ U+FE15, ︕ PRESENTATION FORM FOR VERTICAL EXCLAMATION MARK ← ︔ [U+FE14] Vertical Forms ︖ → [U+FE16]

﹗ U+FE57, ﹗ SMALL EXCLAMATION MARK ← ﹖ [U+FE56] Small Form Variants ﹘ → [U+FE58]

！ U+FF01, ！ FULLWIDTH EXCLAMATION MARK [unassigned: U+FF00] ← [U+FEFF] Halfwidth and Fullwidth Forms ＂ → [U+FF02]

Translingual

Description

A point and a vertical line above it. In some fonts the vertical line forms a thin acute angle, being slightly larger at the top than the bottom. It may also be rounded at the top.

Etymology

Derives from ${\overset {I}{o}}$, an abbreviation of either interiectiō (“interjection”) or the interjection iō (“hey!”), placed at the end of an exclamation to mark it as such. It expresses admiratio (“awe, wonderment”) in the clause.

Punctuation mark

!

1. Denoting excitement, surprise, shock or sudden realizations.
   1. Expresses excitement, anger or other emotion.

      What a beautiful day!

      • 2007, J. K. Rowling, translated by Lia Wyler, Harry Potter e as Relíquias da Morte [Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows] (Harry Potter; 7), Rio de Janeiro: Rocco, →ISBN, page 369:

        Seu macaquinho imundo!

        You filthy little monkey!

   2. Replacing a period at the end of a declarative sentence.

      I had no idea!

   3. Following a question mark at the end of an interrogative sentence.

      How is that possible?!

   4. At the end of an interjection that is set off by dashes or parentheses.

      After he finished his drink — his fifth! — he left the room.

   5. In parentheses, see (!).

      After he finished his fifth drink (!), he left the room.

   6. (informal) Used between words to add emphasis to an exclamation or imperative.
      • 2024 October 24, Mehera Bonner, Jamie Ballard, “Hi, You Should See These Rare Photos of Prince William Through the Years”, in Cosmopolitan‎^[2] (in English):

        MAKE! PRINCE! WILLIAM! HAVE! MIDDLE! PARTED! BANGS! AGAIN!

   7. (comics) Used in some comics instead of the period (.), ending all sentences, except those that use question marks, ellipses, etc.
   8. (comics, video games) Used by itself to convey that a character is surprised at something.

      Character #1: "The zombie is right behind you!"
      Character #2: "!"

      • 1996, Game Freak, Pokémon Red and Blue, Nintendo:

        ! [indicates that another trainer noticed the player character, prompting a battle between them]

      • 2015 September 15, Toby Fox, Undertale, Linux, Microsoft Windows, OS X:

        ! [indicates a random encounter with a monster]

   9. (comics, video games) Used to convey that a character has made a sudden realization.
      • 2002, Capcom, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Justice for All, Capcom:

        Phoenix: I would like to go over this one more time. You met Adrian Andrews at a bar and took the request at that time? / de Killer: Yes, that is correct. / Phoenix: And that's the moment you thought 'he' was trustworthy... / de Killer: How many times must I repeat myself? Yes, that is correct. / Phoenix: I'm sorry, but that is an impossible tale. / de Killer: Wh-What!? / Phoenix: Shelly de Killer. You have never met the real Adrian Andrews! / de Killer: ...! Wh-Why would you say that...? / Phoenix: Because you made one very big slip-up... ...about her. / de Killer: So what is the issue... ...! / de Killer: Wh-What did you say just now...? About 'her'...? / Phoenix: If you had ever met Adrian Andrews in person... One look would have told you that she is a woman!

2. (botany) Placed after a herbarium abbreviation to indicate that the mentioned material held there has been examined directly by the author.
   • 2008 June, A Michele Funston, “Taxonomic Revision of Roldana (Asteraceae: Senecioneae), a Genus of the Southwestern U.S.A., Mexico, and Central America”, in Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden, volume 95, number 2 (in English), page 307:

     TYPE: Mexico. Nayarit: Tepic, 10 Feb. 1927, Marcus E. Jones 23357 (holotype, POM not seen; isotype, US!).

3. (Internet slang, fandom slang) Used to join a descriptor, such as a trait, with its referent, usually a character or relationship.

   She particularly prefers to read fanfiction about hurt!Spock.

   • 2000 October 3, Alli Snow, “comment and question”, in alt.tv.stargate-sg1‎^[3] (Usenet), message-ID <[email protected]>:

     But it has been a while since we've seen Smart!Jack; I wouldn't mind seeing him again...

   • 2000 December 12, Laura, “Since You've Been Gone”, in alt.tv.x-files‎^[4] (Usenet), message-ID <[email protected]>:

     Some take great exception to Action!Scully thinking she should be a little more country than rock and roll in her delicate condition.

Usage notes

• Its English name is variously exclamation mark, exclamation point, exclamation, ecphoneme, or, in computing contexts, shriek, bang or pling.
• In its use to denote excitement, surprise, or shock, it is sometimes repeated for additional emphasis, as in "!!", "!!!", "??!!!", or the like.

Derived terms

• (!)
• ! !
• !! (doubled)
• !? (exclamation and questioning)
• ¡ (inverted)
• ‽ (interrobang)
• ⚠
• ❢

 

Translations

punctuation mark denoting excitement, surprise, or shock

• Aiton: ꩷ (!)
• Armenian: ՜ (^!)
• Catalan: !, ¡ ! (uncommon)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: ！ (zh)

• Fula: 𞥞
• Japanese: ！ (ja)
• Limbu: ^{(please verify)} ᥄ (!)
• N'Ko: ߹
• Shan: ႟
• Spanish: ¡ !
• Vai: ꘎꘎ (!)

Symbol

!

1. (mathematics) The factorial: the result of a multiplication of all integers from 1 to the given number.

   5! = 5 × 4 × 3 × 2 × 1 = 120

   "five factorial equals 120"

2. (chess) Indicator of a good move.
   • 1983, Claude Santoy, Échecs et maths (in French), Marabout,, →ISBN, page 134:

     (Fb4! 10.c3 suivi de De7 eut été plus précis)

     (Bb4! 10.c3 followed by Qe7 would have been more efficient)

3. (computing, in many programming languages) A Boolean negation, the not operator, serving to invert the truth value of what follows.
4. (computing, e-mail) Formerly used as a separator between hostnames in an e-mail address for the purpose of routing a message (called bang path notation).
5. (computing, IRC) Used as a separator between a user's nickname and ident.

See also

Punctuation

• apostrophe ( ' ) ( ’ )
• curly brackets or braces (US) ( { } )
• square brackets or brackets (US) ( [ ] )
• colon ( : )
• comma ( , )
• dashes ( ‒ ) ( – ) ( — ) ( ― )
• ellipsis ( … )
• exclamation mark ( ! )
• fraction slash ( ⁄ )
• guillemets ( « » ) ( ‹ › )
• hyphen ( - ) ( ‐ )
• interpunct ( · )
• interrobang (rare) ( ‽ )
• brackets or parentheses (US, Canada) ( ( ) )
• full stop or period (US, Canada) ( . )
• question mark ( ? )
• quotation marks (formal) ( ‘ ’ ‚ ) ( “ ” „ )
• quotation marks (informal, computing) ( " ) ( ' )
• semicolon ( ; )
• slash or stroke (UK) ( / )
• space ( ] [ )

Further reading

• Exclamation mark on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

English

Symbol

!

1. In glosses, marks a word as imperative.

   manĝi, manĝu, manĝis "eat, eat!, ate"

German

Punctuation mark

!

1. (obsolete) Used at the end of a salutation line of a letter.

   Lieber Hans!

   Dear Hans,