utter

¹ American  

[uht-er] / ˈʌt ər /

verb (used with object)

1. to give audible expression to; speak or pronounce.

   unable to utter her feelings;

   Words were uttered in my hearing.

   Synonyms:

   voice, verbalize, state, speak, say, pronounce, enunciate, articulate

2. to give forth (cries, notes, etc.) with the voice.

   to utter a sigh.

   Synonyms:

   breathe, give, emit

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

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

5. to give forth (a sound) otherwise than with the voice.

   The engine uttered a shriek.

6. to express by written or printed words.

7. to make publicly known; publish.

   to utter a libel.

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

9. British Dialect. to expel; discharge or emit.

10. Obsolete. to publish, as a book.

11. Obsolete. to sell.

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verb (used without object)

1. to employ the faculty of speech; use the voice to talk, make sounds, etc..

   His piety prevented him from uttering on religion.

2. to sustain utterance; undergo speaking.

   Those ideas are so dishonest they will not utter.

utter ² American  

[uht-er] / ˈʌt ər /

adjective

1. complete; total; absolute.

   her utter abandonment to grief;

   utter strangers.

2. unconditional; unqualified.

   an utter denial.

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utter ¹ British  

/ ˈʌtə /

verb

1. to give audible expression to (something)

   to utter a growl

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

3. (tr) to make publicly known; publish

   to utter slander

4. obsolete to give forth, issue, or emit

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utter ² British  

/ ˈʌtə /

adjective

1. (prenominal) (intensifier)

   an utter fool

   utter bliss

   the utter limit

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Related Words

See absolute.

Other Word Forms

• unuttered adjective
• utterable adjective
• utterableness noun
• utterer noun
• utterless adjective
• utterness noun

Etymology

Origin of utter¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English outren, uttren; cognate with German äussern “to declare”; out, -er ⁶

Origin of utter²

First recorded before 900; Middle English outre, utter(e), Old English uttra, ūtera “outer”; out, -er ⁴

Example Sentences

Wright told the High Court they were the "most despicable allegations it is possible to put to any journalist" and that the claims were "utter nonsense".

From BBC

Over the past decade, Norway has cemented its complete and utter ownership of this event.

From The Wall Street Journal

Without uttering a word, they portray the nurses bustling behind doctors in the hit series "The Pitt," the agents guarding a crime scene in "NCIS" or, like Armella, work as "stand-ins" for stars.

From Barron's

The latter, which earned Duvall an Oscar nomination and made him a bona fide star after years playing lesser roles, sees him utter what is now one of cinema's most famous lines.

From Barron's

In it he utters what is now one of cinema's most famous lines.

From Barron's

Related Words

• announce
• articulate
• assert
• asseverate
• declaim
• declare
• deliver
• enunciate
• express
• proclaim
• pronounce
• recite
• speak