Interrobang
noun, verb ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 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.
"Has anyone seen an interrobang? It's a newly invented punctuation mark that looks like this: ‽ A question mark with an exclamation point superimposed, it's meant to convey that nuance of feeling—a mixture of query and surprise—that people have in mind when they say "Really?", also meaning "Really!", or "How about that‽" […] The cure for incredibility is not more punctuation, but more plain talk. We don't need symbols like the interrobang that merely express our perpetual disbelief. We need plain words to express plain truths."
- 2 A combination of a question mark and an exclamation mark; ⟨!?⟩ or ⟨?!⟩. rare
"Interrobang — !?, ?!, or ‽ / What?! You’ve never heard of the interrobang!? Really? Well, now you have, so all is forgiven. An interrobang is […] used to end sentences where you really want both the exclamation point and the question mark. […] The word is used to describe both the two side by side (!? or ?!) or the combined symbol (‽)."
- 1 To exclaim and question at the same time. humorous
"“I think I can help Carli, but I have to move fast. Federal agents are going to descend on this place like locusts in about twenty minutes, max, and they’ll detain everyone. It’ll be days, at least, before they’re done interrobanging around.”"
Example
More examples"What on earth is an interrobang‽"
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.
Related phrases
More for "interrobang"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.