diff --git a/lib/elastic_searchable.rb b/lib/elastic_searchable.rb
index 646430a..52c649b 100644
--- a/lib/elastic_searchable.rb
+++ b/lib/elastic_searchable.rb
@@ -43,13 +43,7 @@ def request(method, url, options = {})
     end
 
     def escape_query(string)
-      q = string.to_s.gsub(/([\(\)\[\]\{\}\?\\\"\\^])/,'\\\\\1')
-      # escape any exclamation marks followed by whitespace or the end of the string
-      # lucene will interpret exclamation marks as a negation operator
-      # This should allow users to continue to use ! for negation while avoiding most errors
-      q.gsub!(/!(!|\s|\z|\\\))/, '\\!\1')
-      q.gsub!('!!','!\\!')
-      q
+      string.to_s.gsub(/([\(\)\[\]\{\}\?\\\"!\^\+\-\*:~])/,'\\\\\1')
     end
 
     private
diff --git a/test/test_elastic_searchable.rb b/test/test_elastic_searchable.rb
index b65f5e7..61956e7 100644
--- a/test/test_elastic_searchable.rb
+++ b/test/test_elastic_searchable.rb
@@ -476,40 +476,82 @@ def self.max_per_page
         assert_equal '\!', result
       end
 
-      should "escape two exclamation marks" do
-        queryString = '!!'
+      should "escape ^" do
+        queryString = '^'
         result = ElasticSearchable.escape_query(queryString)
-        assert_equal '\!\!', result
+        assert_equal '\^', result
       end
 
-      should "escape five exclamation marks" do
-        queryString = '!!!!!'
+      should "escape +" do
+        queryString = '+'
         result = ElasticSearchable.escape_query(queryString)
-        assert_equal '\!\!\!\!\!', result
+        assert_equal '\+', result
       end
 
-      should "leave exlamation at the beginning of a word intact" do
-        queryString = '!monkey'
+      should "escape -" do
+        queryString = '-'
         result = ElasticSearchable.escape_query(queryString)
-        assert_equal '!monkey', result
+        assert_equal '\-', result
       end
 
-      should "escape exclamation mark before whitespace" do
-        queryString = '! '
+      should "escape (" do
+        queryString = '('
         result = ElasticSearchable.escape_query(queryString)
-        assert_equal '\! ', result
+        assert_equal '\(', result
       end
 
-      should "escape exclamation mark before closing parens" do
-        queryString = '!)'
+      should "escape )" do
+        queryString = ')'
         result = ElasticSearchable.escape_query(queryString)
-        assert_equal '\!\)', result
+        assert_equal '\)', result
       end
 
-      should "escape ^" do
-        queryString = '^'
+      should "escape {" do
+        queryString = '}'
         result = ElasticSearchable.escape_query(queryString)
-        assert_equal '\^', result
+        assert_equal '\}', result
+      end
+
+      should "escape [" do
+        queryString = '['
+        result = ElasticSearchable.escape_query(queryString)
+        assert_equal '\[', result
+      end
+
+      should "escape ]" do
+        queryString = ']'
+        result = ElasticSearchable.escape_query(queryString)
+        assert_equal '\]', result
+      end
+
+      should 'escape "' do
+        queryString = '"'
+        result = ElasticSearchable.escape_query(queryString)
+        assert_equal '\"', result
+      end
+
+      should "escape ~" do
+        queryString = '~'
+        result = ElasticSearchable.escape_query(queryString)
+        assert_equal '\~', result
+      end
+
+      should "escape *" do
+        queryString = '*'
+        result = ElasticSearchable.escape_query(queryString)
+        assert_equal '\*', result
+      end
+
+      should "escape :" do
+        queryString = ':'
+        result = ElasticSearchable.escape_query(queryString)
+        assert_equal '\:', result
+      end
+
+      should "escape ?" do
+        queryString = '?'
+        result = ElasticSearchable.escape_query(queryString)
+        assert_equal '\?', result
       end
     end
   end