utter
1to 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.
British Dialect. to expel; discharge or emit.
Obsolete. to publish, as a book.
Obsolete. to sell.
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
1Other words for utter
Other words from utter
- ut·ter·a·ble, adjective
- ut·ter·er, noun
- ut·ter·less, adjective
- un·ut·tered, adjective
Words that may be confused with utter
- udder, utter
Words Nearby utter
Other definitions for utter (2 of 2)
unconditional; unqualified: an utter denial.
Origin of utter
2synonym study For utter
Other words from utter
- ut·ter·ness, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use utter in a sentence
There’s also a huge range of gulf-front vacation rentals from which you can sip your morning coffee in utter solitude.
All five officers had sworn the suspect never uttered a word.
Oceanside, for now, is not uttering the phrase “managed retreat,” during which, in preparation for continued rising sea levels, officials mandate moving the coastal line inland by buying out property owners and relocating structures.
Morning Report: Oceanside, State at Odds Over Seawalls | Voice of San Diego | June 17, 2021 | Voice of San DiegoShe also says he told her that if she uttered a word about that evening, he would make sure she never got hired in media again.
Dozens of Women Accused Famous Intellectual Andrés Roemer of Sexual Abuse. They Came Together to Make the World Listen | Meaghan Beatley | June 1, 2021 | TimeThe cartoonist found a scan of the original 2006 “Boy’s Club” comic art in which Pepe utters his catchphrase, “Feels good man” — the panels that launched countless memes across online forums and platforms.
Matt Furie is trying to reclaim his famous cartoon Pepe the Frog — through NFTs | Michael Cavna | May 30, 2021 | Washington Post
Urban economists, particularly those on the self-satisfied coasts, tend to envision utter hopelessness for the region.
The Rustbelt Roars Back From the Dead | Joel Kotkin, Richey Piiparinen | December 7, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThat was nothing compared to the utter destruction going on across town.
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 DAILY BEASTHe was in so much pain he could hardly utter two words at a time.
The complete and utter lack of compassion or a clue exhibited by these people is shameful in the extreme.
He replied that he had no objections, provided she did not encumber the carriage with bandboxes, which were his utter abhorrence.
The Book of Anecdotes and Budget of Fun; | VariousFrom mere regrets he was passing now, through dismay, into utter repentance of his promise.
St. Martin's Summer | Rafael SabatiniAllcraft winced, as every syllable made known the speaker's actual strength—his own dependence and utter weakness.
When trusted with anything like the command of a mixed body of troops he proved an utter failure.
Napoleon's Marshals | R. P. Dunn-PattisonNot one word did Mrs. Dodd utter for many days to her husband of her momentous conversation with the squire.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3) | Charles James Wills
British Dictionary definitions for utter (1 of 2)
/ (ˈʌtə) /
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; publish: to utter slander
obsolete to give forth, issue, or emit
Origin of utter
1Derived forms of utter
- utterable, adjective
- utterableness, noun
- utterer, noun
- utterless, adjective
British Dictionary definitions for utter (2 of 2)
/ (ˈʌtə) /
(prenominal) (intensifier): an utter fool; utter bliss; the utter limit
Origin of utter
2Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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