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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 ··ٴ· [] 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.”
Notes
Derived Forms
- ˈپ, adverb
Other Word Forms
- p·پ· adverb
Word History and Origins
Origin of expletive1
Word History and Origins
Origin of expletive1
Example Sentences
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.
I wouldn't go to Belfast, for example, the centre of Belfast, with my wife, because every time I go, someone uses expletives to describe yourself as you're walking down the street.
The court heard that on the night, Ms Thomas had sent expletive ridden messages to other family members complaining about how he was behaving.
"He used more expletives than I just did," Hancock chortles.
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