noun · verb · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
Received-Pronunciation:/ɪnˈtɛ.ɹəʊˌbæŋ/
General-American:ĭn.tĕrʹə.băng'
General-American:/ɪnˈtɛ.ɹəˌbæŋ/
Canada:/ɪnˈtɛ.ɹɔˌbæŋ/
[ɪnˈtə.ɹəˌbæŋ]Malaysia (especially as the proscriptional usage of a verb
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
General-American:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
1
noun
Meaning 1
The nonstandard punctuation mark ⟨‽⟩ (a combination of ⟨?⟩ and ⟨!⟩), which may be used at the end of a sentence to express excitement or disbelief, or to indicate that it is a rhetorical question.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
A combination of a question mark and an exclamation mark; ⟨!?⟩ or ⟨?!⟩.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: rare
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
verb
Meaning 3
To exclaim and question at the same time.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: humorous
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
A blend of French (point d')interrogation (“question mark”) or the equivalent term in another Romance language + bang (“exclamation mark, exclamation point”), coined in a 1962 article in the journal TYPEtalks by American advertising executive Martin Kiehra Speckter (1915–1988), who invented the symbol.
Across languages
Translations
30 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Catalan:
admirogant
— the punctuation mark ‽
Catalan:
exclarogant
— the punctuation mark ‽
Catalan:
signe d'admirogació
— the punctuation mark ‽
Catalan:
signe d'exclarogació
— the punctuation mark ‽
Chinese Mandarin:
疑問驚嘆號 /疑问惊叹号
(yíwèn jīngtàn hào)
— the punctuation mark ‽
Dutch:
interrobang
— the punctuation mark ‽
Esperanto:
kridemandosigno
— the punctuation mark ‽
Estonian:
küsihüüumärk
— the punctuation mark ‽
Estonian:
interrobang
— the punctuation mark ‽
Finnish:
kysymys-huutomerkki
— the punctuation mark ‽
French:
point exclarrogatif
— the punctuation mark ‽
German:
Fragerufzeichen
— the punctuation mark ‽
German:
Interrobang
— the punctuation mark ‽
Hebrew:
סִימָן תְּמִיהָה
(simán t'mihá)
— the punctuation mark ‽
Hebrew:
אִינְטֶרוֹבָּאנְג
(intérobang)
— the punctuation mark ‽
Interlingua:
interrobang
— the punctuation mark ‽
Irish:
comhartha ceiste uaillbhreasa
— the punctuation mark ‽
Italian:
punto esclarrogativo
— the punctuation mark ‽
Japanese:
感嘆修辞疑問符
(kantan shūji gimonfu)
— the punctuation mark ‽
Japanese:
インテロバング
(interobangu)
— the punctuation mark ‽
Korean:
물음느낌표
(mureumneukkimpyo)
— the punctuation mark ‽
Korean:
인테러뱅
(intereobaeng)
— the punctuation mark ‽
Norwegian Nynorsk:
interrobang
— the punctuation mark ‽
Portuguese:
interrobang
— the punctuation mark ‽
Russian:
интерроба́нг
(interrobáng)
— the punctuation mark ‽
Russian:
вопроца́тельный знак
(voprocátelʹnyj znak)
— the punctuation mark ‽
