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utterly

American  
[uht-er-lee] / ˈʌt ər li /

adverb

  1. in an utter manner; completely: absolutely.

    Synonyms:
    totally, wholly, fully, entirely
ˈutterly British  
/ ˈʌtəlɪ /

adverb

  1. (intensifier)

    I'm utterly miserable
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of utterly

A Middle English word dating back to 1175–1225; utter 2, -ly

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.

The composition is utterly still, devoid of human presence and enlivened only by fluttering harbor flags and the canvas’s scintillating pinpoints of color.

From The Wall Street Journal

A Plaid Cymru spokesman said it was "utterly disgraceful" and said Reform had "serious questions to answer regarding their vetting process".

From BBC

She wept, partially because she might never see her son again and partially, according to Felix, because “she feared that Basel might be utterly destroyed by the army of Charles V,” the Holy Roman Emperor.

From The Wall Street Journal

This week has shown how utterly devastating and shocking meningitis can be.

From BBC

On the darker side, I’ve seen gluttonous greed and an utterly neurotic need to fit in and be seen.

From The Wall Street Journal

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.