kiáltás

Kiáltás is a Hungarian noun that means a loud vocalization, a shout, cry, or exclamation. It denotes either the physical act of shouting or the utterance itself, and can refer to a moment of alarm, pain, surprise, or command. The word is formed from the verb kiáltani ("to shout") with the nominal suffix -ás, yielding a generic term for the act or instance of shouting.

In usage, kiáltás appears in everyday speech to convey urgency or emotion, for example when someone shouts "Segítség!" or "Megállj!" It also appears in literature and media to heighten tension or indicate a character’s strong emotion. Grammatically, kiáltás can function as a noun referring to the event or, in descriptive language, as the content of what was shouted.

Hungarian exclamatory sentences, known as kiáltó mondatok, and punctuation such as the exclamációjel, are closely related concepts, as kiáltás is often associated with marked intonation or emphasis.

Cultural notes: In folk culture and storytelling, a kiáltás may signal danger, alert others, or serve as a dramatic device. In modern usage, it spans journalism, film scripts, and theater, where it can indicate a character’s immediate reaction.

See also: Exclamatory sentence (kiáltó mondat), Exclamation mark (exclamációjel), Kiáltani.