utter
1 Americanverb (used with object)
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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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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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utterlessadjective
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utternessnoun
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utterableadjective
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unutteredadjective
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utterernoun
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have utteredperfect
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has utteredperfect 3rd person singular
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is utteringprogressive 3rd person singular
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am utteringprogressive 1st person singular
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are utteringprogressive
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have been utteringperfect progressive
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utterssingular 3rd person
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has been utteringperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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utteringparticiple
Past
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had utteredperfect
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was utteringprogressive singular
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were utteringprogressive plural
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had been utteringperfect progressive
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utteredparticiple
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utteredsimple
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
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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List 6
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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.
Utter asininity is the bread and butter of “The Naked Gun,” and the movie milks cop idiocy for all its worth.
From Salon • Aug. 1, 2025
A funeral service will be held Tuesday morning at Utter McKinley Mortuary in Mission Hills.
From Los Angeles Times • May 15, 2025
“We’re relieved,” said David Utter, one of the attorneys who sued the state over the transfer of juveniles to the Angola facility.
From Seattle Times • Sep. 8, 2023
"I'm filled with mixed emotions. Utter rage, frustration, and disappointment. It feels like a setback to the democratic process," he had earlier told the BBC.
From BBC • Jul. 19, 2023
Sansa rode to the Hand's tourney with Septa Mordane and Jeyne Poole, in a Utter with curtains of yellow silk so fine she could see right through them.
From "A Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin
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.
