Interjections | Definition, Meanings and Examples

Interjections are powerful tools in communication, helping to express strong emotions or reactions. These short words or phrases can convey joy, frustration, excitement, or surprise without needing a full sentence. For instance, when amazed, we might say, “Wow!” or when we make a mistake, “Oops!”

What Are Interjections?

Interjections are words or phrases that show emotions like surprise, excitement, or frustration. They don’t always connect grammatically with the rest of the sentence but help express immediate feelings.

For example:

• Ouch! That hurt.
• Hey! Stop right there!

Types of Interjections

Interjections can be classified based on the type of emotion or situation they express. Below are the common types.

1. Amazement and Laughter

These interjections express surprise, wonder, or humor in response to something extraordinary or amusing:

• Wow! Expresses surprise or wonder. “Wow! That’s an incredible magic trick!”
• Oh! Expresses realization or astonishment. “Oh! I forgot my keys at home.”
• Ah! Expresses understanding or sudden insight. “Ah! Now I get it.”
• Yay! Expresses joy or excitement. “Yay! It’s finally the weekend!”
• Haha! Indicates laughter or amusement. “Haha! That’s funny!”
• Hehe! Represents a quieter form of laughter. “Hehe, that was cute.”
• LOL! Acronym for “Laugh Out Loud.” “LOL, that joke is hilarious!”
• Ha! Expresses amusement or surprise. “Ha! I knew it!”
• Ahh! Expresses satisfaction or relaxation. “Ahh, this feels so good.”
• Gee! Expresses surprise or disbelief. “Gee! That’s a lot of presents.”
• Aha! Expresses sudden realization or discovery. “Aha! I found the missing puzzle piece.”
• Fantastic! Expresses extreme approval or enthusiasm. “Fantastic! You did an amazing job.”

2. Greetings and Farewells

Interjections used for greetings or farewells set the tone for conversation, acknowledging someone’s presence or departure.

• Hello! Greeting someone. “Hello, how are you?”
• Hi! Informal greeting. “Hi, nice to meet you!”
• Hey! Informal greeting or to get attention. “Hey, what’s going on?”
• Goodbye! Farewell. “Goodbye, see you later!”
• Bye! Informal farewell. “Bye, take care!”
• Greetings! Formal expression of goodwill. “Greetings to all our guests.”
• See ya! Informal farewell. “See ya later! Take care.”
• Salutations! Polite way of saying hello. “Salutations, everyone!”
• Howdy! Friendly and informal greeting. “Howdy, neighbor!”
• What’s up! Informal way of asking how someone is. “What’s up?”
• Good morning! Polite, cheerful morning greeting. “Good morning, have a great day!”
• Hi there! Friendly, casual greeting. “Hi there, long time no see!”

3. Surprise and Agreement

These interjections convey immediate, strong emotional reactions, often in response to unexpected or positive information.

• Huh! Expresses confusion or surprise. “Huh, I didn’t know that!”
• What! Indicates confusion or inquiry. “What is happening?”
• Eh! Expresses uncertainty or seeks confirmation. “It’s, eh, okay.”
• Oh! Conveys realization or surprise. “Oh, I see!”
• Hmm! Indicates thinking or contemplation. “Hmm, I’m not sure.”
• Yes! Indicates affirmation or agreement. “Yes, I agree.”
• Absolutely! Expresses strong agreement. “Absolutely, count me in!”
• Indeed! Confirms or agrees. “That is indeed true.”
• Sure! Indicates consent. “Sure, I can help.”
• Certainly! Expresses assurance or agreement. “Certainly, I’ll do it.”
• Alright! Expressing agreement. “Alright, let’s do it!”
• Okay! Expressing agreement or understanding. “Okay, I’ll be there.”

4. Displeasure and Frustration

Interjections that show frustration, annoyance, or dissatisfaction.

• Ugh! Expresses disgust or frustration. “Ugh! This food tastes awful.”
• Oh no! Expresses disappointment or concern. “Oh no! I forgot my umbrella.”
• Darn! Expresses frustration or annoyance. “Darn! I missed the bus.”
• Bummer! Expresses disappointment or regret. “Bummer! I can’t go to the party.”
• Rats! Expresses annoyance. “Rats! I spilled my coffee.”
• Drat! Expresses disappointment or irritation. “Drat! I forgot to buy milk.”
• Boo! Expresses disapproval. “Boo! That movie was boring.”
• Meh. Expresses indifference. “Meh. The movie was okay.”
• Grr! Expresses anger or frustration. “Grr! I can’t open this jar.”
• Good grief! Expresses frustration. “Good grief! I can’t find my keys.”
• Oh shoot! Mild frustration. “Oh shoot! I left my phone at home.”

5. Joy and Celebration

Used when expressing happiness, excitement, or enthusiasm.

• Hurray! Expressing excitement. “Hurray! We won the game!”
• Yippee! Expresses delight or happiness. “Yippee! It’s a snow day!”
• Yahoo! Expresses joy. “Yahoo! I got the job!”
• Cheers! Used to toast or express good wishes. “Cheers! To a successful year.”
• Hip, hip, hooray! Celebration or cheer. “Hip, hip, hooray! It’s your birthday!”
• Woo-hoo! Expressing excitement. “Woo-hoo! That was a thrilling ride.”
• Yea! Expresses approval. “Yea! I agree with that.”
• Yesss! Expresses triumph or agreement. “Yesss! We made it!”
• Aww! Expresses affection. “Aww! The puppy is so cute.”

6. Sorrow and Regret

These interjections convey sadness, disappointment, or a sense of loss.

• Alas! Expresses sorrow or regret. “Alas, the plan didn’t work.”
• Oh dear! Expresses concern. “Oh dear, are you okay?”
• Sorry! Expresses apology. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt.”
• Ouch! Expressing pain. “Ouch, I stubbed my toe.”
• Oops! Indicates a minor mistake. “Oops, I dropped my phone.”
• My bad! Admits fault or mistake. “My bad, I forgot the meeting.”
• Apologies! Formally expresses regret. “Apologies for the confusion.”

7. Attention and Inquiry

Interjections used to grab attention or highlight something important.

• Excuse me! Requests attention. “Excuse me, can I ask a question?”
• Please! Polite request. “Please pass the salt.”
• Look! Drawing attention. “Look! A rainbow!”
• Listen! Urging attention. “Listen! The birds are singing.”
• Oh wow! Expressing astonishment. “Oh wow! That’s a beautiful sunset.”
• Golly! Expressing surprise. “Golly! You finished that quickly.”
• Well! Expressing mild surprise. “Well! I never expected that.”
• Goodness! Expressing amazement. “Goodness! Is that your new car?”

Example Sentences

• Wow, that’s amazing!
• Oh, I forgot my umbrella.
• Yay, we won the game!
• Hey, how’s it going?
• Ugh, I can’t believe I forgot.
• Bravo, what a performance!

List of Common Interjections 

• Oh!
• Wow!
• Oops!
• Yay!
• Hey!
• Alas!
• Aha!
• Hooray!
• Ugh!
• Bravo!
• Well…
• Gee!
• Gosh!
• Phew!
• Hurray!
• Huh!
• Yikes!
• Yesss!
• Aha!
• Cheers!
• Eureka!
• Uh-oh!
• Hm…
• Aww!
• Hush!
• Yippee!
• Hmm…
• Shh!
• Whew!
• Ooh!
• Ta-da!
• Umm…
• Aargh!
• Eww!
• Ohoo!
• Darn!
• Sigh!
• Huh?
• Mmm…
• No way!
• Well…
• Yeah!
• Nope!
• Ouch!
• Haha!
• Ouch!
• So?
• Yo!
• Shoo!
• Boohoo!
• Hush!
• Oops!
• Ugh!
• Tsk-tsk!
• Duh!
• Grr!
• Yuck!
• Hurrah!
• Ta-ta
• Oh shit!