Basic Details
Word: Exclaimed
Part of Speech: Verb
Meaning: Said something suddenly and loudly because of surprise, joy, anger or pain.
Synonyms: cried, shouted, called out
Antonyms: whispered, murmured
How to Spell Exclaimed
Syllables: ex - claimed
Tricky part: The verb keeps the ai of claim, so it is exclaimed. Students who know the noun exclamation drop the i and write exclamed.
Watch out for: exclamed, exclaimd, exclaimmed
Memory tip: Inside exclaimed sits claim. When you exclaim, you claim something out loud: ex (out) + claim + ed.
Usage Examples
Example 1: My little sister exclaimed with joy when she saw the rainbow over the lake.
Example 2: "That is my lost pencil box!" Aman exclaimed.
Example 3: The audience exclaimed in surprise as the magician pulled a pigeon out of his hat.
Fun Fact
One popular theory says the exclamation mark began as the Latin word io, a cry of joy, written with the I above the o, until the o shrank into a dot.
Practise the CREST Way
Spell-o-Spell
Only one of these words is spelt correctly. Choose its meaning:
1. persuaided 2. compleined 3. aknowledged 4. exclaimed
a) made someone agree by giving reasons
b) admitted that something is true
c) cried out suddenly in surprise or delight
d) said that something was wrong or not good enough
Show answer
c) cried out suddenly in surprise or delight. Exclaimed is spelt correctly with the ai of claim; acknowledged needs ck, persuaded has no i, and complained takes ai, not ei.
Mingle-Mangle
Unjumble the letters in the sentence to form a meaningful word:
Seeing the giant painted dragon, the children ldcmeexai together.
a) examined
b) exclaimed
c) exclaim
d) explained
Show answer
b) exclaimed. Nine letters with no n and no p: examined and explained are ruled out, and exclaim is two letters short.
Word Connection
Choose the synonym of the word exclaimed as used in the sentence:
The tourist exclaimed in delight when the tiger walked out of the bushes beside the jeep.
a) sighed
b) yawned
c) whispered
d) cried out
Show answer
d) cried out. To exclaim is to cry out suddenly, as people do when something takes them by surprise.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Words that are exclaimed are often followed by ____.
a) a comma
b) a hyphen
c) a question mark
d) an exclamation mark
Show answer
d) an exclamation mark
2. If someone exclaimed, their voice was most likely ____.
a) low and steady
b) slow and sleepy
c) sudden and loud
d) soft and calm
Show answer
c) sudden and loud
