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expletive
[ek-spli-tiv]
noun
an interjectory word or expression, frequently profane; an exclamatory oath.
a syllable, word, or phrase serving to fill out.
Grammar.a word considered as regularly filling the syntactic position of another, as it in It is his duty to go, or there in There is nothing here.
adjective
Also expletory added merely to fill out a sentence or line, give emphasis, etc..
Expletive remarks padded the speech.
expletive
/ ɪˈːɪ /
noun
an exclamation or swearword; an oath or a sound expressing an emotional reaction rather than any particular meaning
any syllable, word, or phrase conveying no independent meaning, esp one inserted in a line of verse for the sake of the metre
adjective
expressing no particular meaning, esp when filling out a line of verse
expletive
Any exclamation or oath, especially one that is obscene or profane, as in “Dammit, I forgot to buy the milk.”
Other Word Forms
- expletively adverb
- ˈپ adverb
Word History and Origins
Origin of expletive1
Word History and Origins
Origin of expletive1
Example Sentences
The former Los Angeles Times building was scrawled with expletives, along with the words: “Immigrants rule the world.”
Chabria: As someone known to routinely curse in polite society, I’m not one to judge an expletive.
Maehara said he heard a man’s voice: “Go back to...” using an expletive and a racial slur, before the car drove off.
When asked to clarify what he meant by the expletive and whether he was using it to highlight a problem, Soboroff said, “Are you kidding me? Of course.”
A separate exchange used an expletive to describe punching an inmate "after he bit me so there's some closure", along with a laughing emoji.
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