utter

[uht-er]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR utter ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object)

to give audible expression to; speak or pronounce: unable to utter her feelings; Words were uttered in my hearing.

to give forth (cries, notes, etc.) with the voice: to utter a sigh.

Phonetics. to produce (speech sounds, speechlike sounds, syllables, words, etc.) audibly, with or without reference to formal language.

to express (oneself or itself), especially in words.

to give forth (a sound) otherwise than with the voice: The engine uttered a shriek.

to express by written or printed words.

to make publicly known; publish: to utter a libel.

to put into circulation, as coins, notes, and especially counterfeit money or forged checks.

to expel; emit.

Obsolete. to publish, as a book.

Obsolete. to sell.

verb (used without object)

to employ the faculty of speech; use the voice to talk, make sounds, etc.: His piety prevented him from uttering on religion.

to sustain utterance; undergo speaking: Those ideas are so dishonest they will not utter.

Origin of utter

1350–1400; Middle English outren (see out, -er⁶); cognate with German äussern to declare

Related formsut·ter·a·ble, adjectiveut·ter·er, nounut·ter·less, adjectiveun·ut·tered, adjective

Can be confusedudder utter

utter

[uht-er]

adjective

complete; total; absolute: her utter abandonment to grief.

unconditional; unqualified: an utter denial.

Origin of utter

before 900; Middle English; Old English uttra, ūtera outer. See out, -er⁴

Related formsut·ter·ness, noun

Synonym study

1. See absolute.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for utter

sheer, unmitigated, pure, recite, pronounce, blurt, whisper, express, deliver, mutter, articulate, enunciate, assert, shout, proclaim, speak, perfect, complete, confounded, blessed

Examples from the Web for utter

Contemporary Examples of utter

That was nothing compared to the utter destruction going on across town.
Raging Protesters Set Ferguson on Fire
Justin Glawe
November 25, 2014
The utter lack of beds provides a vivid commentary on the extreme nature of Communism.
The Secret Soviet Power Bunker—in Latvia, a Hiding Place for the Elite
Brandon Presser
September 25, 2014
The complete and utter lack of compassion or a clue exhibited by these people is shameful in the extreme.
The Psychology of Sex Slave Rings
Charlotte Lytton
August 31, 2014
In fact, Lauer even ended up with a character arc of his own, involving his reluctance to utter the word “sharknado.”
‘Sharknado 2’ in Winter: Has the Franchise Jumped the Shark?
Jason Lynch
July 28, 2014
Despite rumors spreading that his daughter is a harlot, Dill (Stanley Tucci) has complete and utter faith in her, no matter what.
The 13 Coolest Movie Dads: ‘Taken,’ ‘Star Wars,’ ‘Die Hard,’ and More
Marlow Stern
June 15, 2014

Historical Examples of utter

No one has seen him shed a tear, of heard him utter a complaint.
Philothea
Lydia Maria Child
I am more grateful to you than words can utter—and I will always be glad to do anything for you.
The Spenders
Harry Leon Wilson
Yet he failed not to regard these indulgences as utter folly.
The Spenders
Harry Leon Wilson
He gazes at me, as if he were about to utter a word of paternal advice.
The Prophetic Pictures (From "Twice Told Tales")
Nathaniel Hawthorne
One of the marvellous things about the child was his utter lack of favouritism.
Weighed and Wanting
George MacDonald

British Dictionary definitions for utter

utter

verb

to give audible expression to (something)to utter a growl

criminal law to put into circulation (counterfeit coin, forged banknotes, etc)

(tr) to make publicly known; publishto utter slander

obsolete to give forth, issue, or emit

Derived Formsutterable, adjectiveutterableness, nounutterer, nounutterless, adjective

Word Origin for utter

C14: probably originally a commercial term, from Middle Dutch ūteren (modern Dutch uiteren) to make known; related to Middle Low German ūtern to sell, show

utter

adjective

(prenominal) (intensifier)an utter fool; utter bliss; the utter limit

Word Origin for utter

C15: from Old English utera outer, comparative of ūte out (adv); related to Old High German ūzaro, Old Norse ūtri

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

Word Origin and History for utter

adj.

"complete, total," Old English utera, uterra, "outer," comparative adjective formed from ut (see out), from Proto-Germanic *utizon (cf. Old Norse utar, Old Frisian uttra, Middle Dutch utere, Dutch uiter-, Old High German uzar, German äußer "outer").

"speak, say," c.1400, in part from Middle Low German utern "to turn out, show, speak," from uter "outer," comparative adj. formed from ut "out;" in part from Middle English verb outen "to disclose," from Old English utan "to put out," from ut (see out). Cf. German äussern "to utter, express," from aus "out;" and colloquial phrase out with it "speak up!" Formerly also used as a commercial verb (as release is now). Related: Uttered; uttering.