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.
He has been a long-term critic of efforts to promote normal birth in the health service and said he was "utterly shocked" by Kirkup's claims.
From BBC • Jun. 30, 2026
We’ve also watched England supporters chew off their fingernails, the French get soaked by a thunderstorm in Philadelphia, and that Belgian kid who burst into tears when his team proved utterly useless.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 26, 2026
Helen said the children who were conceived by sperm donors were "utterly voiceless at this point" and she and her sisters hoped to be "a voice of the implications that it has".
From BBC • Jun. 18, 2026
I mean, the idea that we need to build new plutonium pits, meaning new triggers for nuclear weapons, is utterly ridiculous.
From Salon • Jun. 15, 2026
At this moment, surrounded by so many people, I feel utterly alone.
From "Finding Junie Kim" by Ellen Oh
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.
