What is an Interjection?
By definition, an interjection is a word unit in English used to express emotions and strong feelings.Interjections can be used to express hesitation or protest, and it often ends with an exclamation point.
Interjection examples:
- “Oops! I’m sorry.”
- “Bingo! I found it.”
- “Oh, How cute she is!”
- “Well! I think Steve got married!”
- “Meh! I don’t like that movie.”
- “Yahoo! We made it!”
How many Interjections in English?
The following table is a list of interjections that show emotions along with examples for each:
| Type of Interjections | EXAMPLES | |
|---|---|---|
| Doubt | ||
| Hmm | “Humm…She is more clever than all of us.” | |
| Um | “Um, I don’t know if I like the color.” | |
| Err | “New Delhi is the capital of..err… India!” | |
| Pity/Good grief | ||
| Alas | “Alas, my funds have some limitations.” | |
| Dear | “Oh dear, I’ve broken the light.” | |
| Realization | ||
| Ah | “Ah, what a lovely baby!” | |
| Aha | “Aha, it was a fox.” | |
| Disapproval | ||
| Tut tut | “Tut tut, Jack, you disappoint me, you really do.” | |
| Tsk tsk | “So you were out wasting time again last night? Tsk tsk!” | |
| Irritation | ||
| Hmph | “Don’t blame me. It is your fault. Hmph!” | |
| Huh | “Try to understand.” “Huh! What is there to understand?” | |
| Oy | “Oy, my legs hurt!” | |
| Hey | “Hey! Look out!” | |
| Panic | ||
| Help | “Help! I’m going to fall.” | |
| Ah | “Ah! I have hurt my toe.” | |
| Uh-oh | “Uh-oh, I think the bear is inside the house!” | |
| Dismay | ||
| Oh no | “Oh no! Did I leave my keys in the car?” | |
| Oh | “Oh, I am not going to die, am I?” | |
| Oops | “Oops! I almost spilled the coffee!” | |
| Disappointment | ||
| Aw | “Aw it’s a shame. I can’t make it”. | |
| Embarrassment | ||
| Ahem | “Ahem, can I make a suggestion?” | |
| Er | “I don’t think..er..wait..let me call my boss.” | |
| Pain | ||
| Ouch | “Ouch! That really hurts!” | |
| Oww | “Oww, I hit my thumb!” | |
| Oh | “Oh! I’ve got a toothache.” | |
| Disgust | ||
| Yuck | “Yuck! This peanut butter is disgusting.” | |
| Ugh | “That guy is so stupid. Ugh, I can’t stand his foolishness.” | |
| Er | “Er, this apple is rotten.” | |
| Surprise | ||
| Oh | “Oh! What a nice view.” | |
| Eek | “Eek! It moved!” | |
| Yikes | “Yikes, my mother’s home!” | |
| Ooh | “Ooh, what a lovely dress!” | |
| Wow | “Wow! I never knew that.” | |
| Eh | “So that was all what she said, eh?” | |
| Well | “Well, so she got a job?” | |
| Really | “She’s resigned.” “Really?” | |
| Elation | ||
| Hurray | “We’ve done it! Hurrah!” | |
| Yippee | “Yippee! We won, let’s have a part!” | |
| Ha | “Ha! So I’m right after all.” | |
| Whoopee | “Whoopee! It’s the holidays!” | |
| Woo hoo | “Woo hoo! It’s the holidays.” | |
| Pleasure | ||
| Hooray | “Hooray! Our team won!” | |
| Yeah | “Yeah, I’d love some orange juice.” | |
| Mmm | “Mm, this ice cream is delicious.” | |
| Relief | ||
| Phew | “I didn’t do my homework, but the teacher didn’t check. Phew!” | |
| Whew | “Whew! I can’t believe we actually finished it all.” | |
| Whoa | “Whoa, take it easy, calm down!” | |
| Boredom | ||
| Blah | “Blah! Why can’t I get this computer to work?” | |
| Ho-hum | “Look at all this paperwork. Ho-hum.” | |
