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
-
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:
The utter silence of that room as he spoke, the admiration on all those famous faces said it all.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 15, 2026
"I think all of us feel the same - that it is an utter joy of a job to walk into," says Leah Byrne.
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026
Upon hearing Poland’s order, Eatherly closed his eyes in a look of utter devastation.
From Slate ● Aug. 20, 2026
But when they do, it’s like watching a magic trick play out before your eyes, leaving you so stunned you’re stammering, unable to utter even a single “How?”
From Salon ● Aug. 17, 2026
I had been slightly embarrassed to raise the request when I spoke with prison officials, but to my utter amazement they had agreed to do it.
From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson
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
Heat rises to my face as she utters the last sentence.
From "Amina's Song" by Hena Khan
He often speaks about how he is living his dream - his parents have told him he has been talking about playing for England since he uttered his first words.
From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026
"It's crazy!" uttered a woman as the crowd beside suddenly burst into enthusiastic applause.
From Barron's ● Aug. 12, 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
The word “perfect” is inappropriately uttered roughly as often as the phrase “no problem.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026
She listened attentively to every word Penelope uttered.
From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood
Lumen has followed up with another comedy skit, including one about a company lawyer who zealously stops Seattleites from uttering the brand’s name.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 27, 2026
Many were too shocked to speak, uttering few words before breaking down in tears or retreating into silence.
From Barron's ● May 19, 2026
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
Reverend Salles has written to tell him that Vincent “has withdrawn into absolute muteness, hides himself under his bedcovers and sometimes cries without uttering a word.”
From "Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers" by Deborah Heiligman
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.
