utterly
Americanadverb
adverb
Etymology
Origin of utterly
A Middle English word dating back to 1175–1225; see origin at utter 2, -ly
Explanation
Utterly is an intensifying word: something utterly delicious is very, very delicious. One thing people love to do is exaggerate. You often hear people talking about how awesome or awful things are. When you're laying it on thick, utterly is an utterly useful word: it means something similar to completely, totally, or very. Something utterly disappointing is extremely disappointing. Something utterly wonderful is wonderful times ten. When you get tired of writing very, utterly is a good word choice.
Vocabulary lists containing utterly
A Long Walk to Water
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The Diary of Anne Frank
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"Easter, 1916" by W.B. Yeats
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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.
"Ok, so the last two days have been utterly overwhelming, in that I had zero idea my cancer post would have the attention it did," Davis wrote on Instagram on Thursday, external.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
She was my heart, and I was utterly crushed.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026
But the alternative, as Araki suggests, is an utterly boring existence, where, either way, you’ll always wonder “what if?”
From Salon ● Jul. 31, 2026
It’s super weird, very meta and utterly delightful.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 31, 2026
He was utterly hopeless as a grand designer of narratives, and he knew it.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
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.
