utter
1 Americanverb (used with object)
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utters,
present (3rd person singular)
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uttered,
past participle, past
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uttering
present participle
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to give audible expression to; speak or pronounce.
unable to utter her feelings;
Words were uttered in my hearing.
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to give forth (cries, notes, etc.) with the voice.
to utter a sigh.
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Phonetics. to produce (speech sounds, speechlike sounds, syllables, words, etc.) audibly, with or without reference to formal language.
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to express (oneself or itself), especially in words.
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to give forth (a sound) otherwise than with the voice.
The engine uttered a shriek.
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to express by written or printed words.
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to make publicly known; publish.
to utter a libel.
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to put into circulation, as coins, notes, and especially counterfeit money or forged checks.
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British Dialect. to expel; discharge or emit.
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Obsolete. to publish, as a book.
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Obsolete. to sell.
verb (used without object)
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utters,
present (3rd person singular)
-
uttered,
past participle, past
-
uttering
present participle
-
to employ the faculty of speech; use the voice to talk, make sounds, etc..
His piety prevented him from uttering on religion.
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to sustain utterance; undergo speaking.
Those ideas are so dishonest they will not utter.
adjective
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her utter abandonment to grief;
utter strangers.
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an utter denial.
verb
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to give audible expression to (something)
to utter a growl
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criminal law to put into circulation (counterfeit coin, forged banknotes, etc)
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(tr) to make publicly known; publish
to utter slander
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obsolete to give forth, issue, or emit
adjective
Synonym Usage
See absolute.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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utterablenessnoun
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utterernoun
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utternessnoun
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unutteredadjective
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utterableadjective
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utterlessadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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uttersimple
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utterssimple
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have utteredperfect
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has utteredperfect
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am utteringprogressive
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are utteringprogressive
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is utteringprogressive
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have been utteringperfect progressive
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has been utteringperfect progressive
Past
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utteredsimple
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had utteredperfect
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was utteringprogressive
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were utteringprogressive
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had been utteringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of utter1
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English outren, uttren; cognate with German äussern “to declare”; see origin at out, -er 6
Origin of utter2
First recorded before 900; Middle English outre, utter(e), Old English uttra, ūtera “outer”; see origin at out, -er 4
Explanation
The adjective utter is often used as an intensifier to mean "total" — often with negative connotations (like "utter failure"). As a verb, the word has a totally unrelated meaning: to speak or to articulate a sound. If you utter something, you give it voice. You could utter a cry or utter complete sentences; either way, you are expressing yourself. However, if you declare someone an utter moron, you are saying he is a complete and total moron; not that he is a moron expressing himself. Don't confuse the spelling of utter with udder — the latter is the part of the cow that you milk.
Vocabulary lists containing utter
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"The Great Gatsby," Chapter 1 Vocabulary
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Argentina had pulled a victory from the jaws of utter humiliation, 3-2.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 4, 2026
Speaking outside court, Lyra's sister Nichola Corner said the verdict was a "complete and utter shock".
From BBC ● Jul. 3, 2026
"Today has come as a complete and utter shock to us as a family," she said.
From Barron's ● Jul. 3, 2026
For those of us who remember the bicentennial, the semiquincentennial is a complete and utter dud.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026
Everything went dark, and to my utter relief I found myself back on the platform in the Academy’s Hub, but this time instead of Elliot, I was standing next to Tess, Eliana, and Serina.
From "Glitch" by Laura Martin
The alien language she utters in the Disclosure Day trailer was something she developed with Spielberg and the movie’s sound designer Gary Rydstrom.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 4, 2026
In it he utters what is now one of cinema's most famous lines.
From Barron's ● Feb. 16, 2026
At one point, the Parliament-Funkadelic leader utters, “bow wow wow, yippie yo yippie yay” — a line from his 1982 solo hit “Atomic Dog” that Snoop has used in multiple songs.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 17, 2025
"Brilliant," is one word that nearly every single England fan I speak to utters as I call out to them outside the stadium.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2025
June pulls away from me the instant she utters the last word.
From "Legend" by Marie Lu
One of the early leaders of the Coastal Commission, the late Peter Douglas, anticipated these trials and uttered a phrase I’ve repeated many times over the years.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 11, 2026
After the final whistle confirmed the 2-2 draw, Haaland turned his attention to Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta with his infamous "stay humble" remark, uttered twice when they came together post-match on the pitch.
From BBC ● Jul. 5, 2026
That statement has haunted the administration since he uttered it.
From Salon ● Jun. 12, 2026
Instead, he gave one of the most famous, and perhaps the most quietly professional, replies ever uttered.
From Slate ● Apr. 13, 2026
Never have they uttered a single word about the burden we must be, never have they complained that we’re too much trouble.
From "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank
Many were too shocked to speak, uttering few words before breaking down in tears or retreating into silence.
From Barron's ● May 19, 2026
“Moving on to something a bit more important,” Fox proceeded, but not before uttering, “although it was an important part of my life.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2025
Pines recalls one young guest uttering to him in distress: "I've never done anything like that before."
From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2025
Most everyone has, at one point or another, tied themselves in rationalization knots to avoid uttering the phrase, "I was wrong."
From Salon ● Mar. 21, 2025
"Mr. Samsa," called out the middle lodger to the father, and pointed his index finger, without uttering a further word, at Gregor as he was moving slowly forward.
From "The Metamorphosis" by Franz Kafka
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
