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:
He is perhaps the first teenager in history to utter the phrase, “I have very cool parents.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 3, 2026
The defence says the militia group staged an illegal kidnapping when diplomatic negotiations stalled, in a process which showed "an utter disregard for Libyan law and sovereignty."
From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026
"It's absolutely heartbreaking. It really is emotionally devastating, because it's utter despair: no more lake," said amateur local historian David Favre, who lives in the Swiss village of Les Brenets.
From Barron's ● Oct. 4, 2026
A video of Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., looking on with a mask of utter horror quickly circulated online.
From Salon ● Oct. 1, 2026
And then, to my utter shock, Elliot Mason shrugged.
From "Glitch" by Laura Martin
Adam Young’s orc, Marnûkh, a character new to the hit Prime Video series, utters the famous phrase in the new trailer released Wednesday.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2026
One wonderfully executed sequence, in which Jonathan’s aunt calmly utters uncomfortable truths to the hypocritical and insensitive diners around her, is shocking and hilarious.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026
In it he utters what is now one of cinema's most famous lines.
From Barron's ● Feb. 16, 2026
Elphaba utters a spell that surrounds her sister’s feet with a red glow, and suddenly, she’s hovering midair.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 24, 2025
Her mother utters her name three times: Lourdes.
From "Enrique's Journey" by Sonia Nazario
NEW ORLEANS—Lying on a couch in 1992, a phone to his ear, James Carville uttered a line about the U.S. electorate that has followed him to this day: “It’s the economy, stupid.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 3, 2026
The saying is one of his favorite maxims, but it hasn’t been uttered by any other world leader for centuries.
From Salon ● Sep. 24, 2026
The late Peter Douglas, former executive director of the California Coastal Commission, uttered them many years ago.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 29, 2026
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
"A 'No' uttered from the deepest conviction is better than a 'Yes' merely uttered to please, or worse, to avoid trouble."
From "Saints and Misfits" by S.K. Ali
“Not where we want to be,” said quarterback Justin Herbert, quickly uttering the understatement of the afternoon.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 11, 2026
For example, lying isn’t merely uttering a falsehood.
From Salon ● Apr. 13, 2026
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 ● Feb. 17, 2026
“Moving on to something a bit more important,” Fox proceeded, but not before uttering, “although it was an important part of my life.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2025
Without waiting to catch breath after his heroic skirmish, he began uttering, over these detested feathers, the most horrible imprecations imaginable.
From "Abel's Island" by William Steig
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