UTTER

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does utter mean? 

• UTTER (adjective)
  The adjective UTTER has 2 senses:

1. without qualification; used informally as (often pejorative) intensifiers

2. complete and absolute

  Familiarity information: UTTER used as an adjective is rare.

• UTTER (verb)
  The verb UTTER has 4 senses:

1. articulate; either verbally or with a cry, shout, or noise

2. express audibly; utter sounds (not necessarily words)

3. express in speech

4. put into circulation

  Familiarity information: UTTER used as a verb is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• UTTER (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Without qualification; used informally as (often pejorative) intensifiers

Synonyms:

arrant; complete; consummate; double-dyed; everlasting; gross; perfect; pure; sodding; staring; stark; thorough; thoroughgoing; unadulterated; utter

Context example:

the unadulterated truth

Similar:

unmitigated (not diminished or moderated in intensity or severity; sometimes used as an intensifier)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Complete and absolute

Synonyms:

blank; utter

Context example:

blank stupidity

Similar:

complete (having every necessary or normal part or component or step)

• UTTER (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they utter    ... he / she / it utters   
Past simple: uttered   
Past participle: uttered   
-ing form: uttering   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Articulate; either verbally or with a cry, shout, or noise

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

express; give tongue to; utter; verbalise; verbalize

Context example:

He uttered a curse

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "utter"):

blaspheme; curse; cuss; imprecate; swear (utter obscenities or profanities)

wish (make or express a wish)

call out; cry; cry out; exclaim; outcry; shout (utter aloud; often with surprise, horror, or joy)

clamor; clamour (utter or proclaim insistently and noisily)

shout out; vociferate (utter in a very loud voice)

marvel (express astonishment or surprise about something)

voice (give voice to)

raise (cause to be heard or known; express or utter)

breathe (utter or tell)

drop (utter with seeming casualness)

pour out (express without restraint)

get off (deliver verbally)

platitudinize (utter platitudes)

say (utter aloud)

represent (serve as a means of expressing something)

say; state; tell (express in words)

pooh-pooh (express contempt about)

hurl; throw (utter with force; utter vehemently)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

utterable (capable of being uttered in words or sentences)

utterance (the use of uttered sounds for auditory communication)

utterer (an organism that can utter vocal sounds)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Express audibly; utter sounds (not necessarily words)

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

emit; let loose; let out; utter

Context example:

He uttered strange sounds that nobody could understand

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "utter"):

call (utter in a loud voice or announce)

gibber (chatter inarticulately; of monkeys)

crow (express pleasure verbally)

crow (utter shrill sounds)

trumpet (utter in trumpet-like sounds)

coo (cry softly, as of pigeons)

call; cry; holler; hollo; scream; shout; shout out; squall; yell (utter a sudden loud cry)

miaou; miaow (make a cat-like sound)

tsk; tut; tut-tut (utter 'tsk,' 'tut,' or 'tut-tut,' as in disapproval)

echo; repeat (to say again or imitate)

call (utter a characteristic note or cry)

shoot (utter fast and forcefully)

gurgle (utter with a gurgling sound)

cry (utter a characteristic sound)

nasale (speak in a nasal voice)

bite out (utter)

sigh (utter with a sigh)

troat (emit a cry intended to attract other animals; used especially of animals at rutting time)

lift (make audible)

pant (utter while panting, as if out of breath)

volley (utter rapidly)

break into (express or utter spontaneously)

heave (utter a sound, as with obvious effort)

chorus (utter in unison)

splutter; sputter (utter with a spitting sound, as if in a rage)

deliver (utter (an exclamation, noise, etc.))

hoot (to utter a loud clamorous shout)

grunt (issue a grunting, low, animal-like noise)

wolf-whistle (whistle or howl approvingly at a female, of males)

snort (indicate contempt by breathing noisily and forcefully through the nose)

spit; spit out (utter with anger or contempt)

groan; moan (indicate pain, discomfort, or displeasure)

growl; grumble; rumble (to utter or emit low dull rumbling sounds)

howl; wrawl; yammer; yowl (cry loudly, as of animals)

bark (make barking sounds)

baa; blat; blate; bleat (cry plaintively)

bellow; roar (make a loud noise, as of animal)

cheep; chirp; chirrup; peep (make high-pitched sounds)

churr; whirr (make a vibrant sound, as of some birds)

chirr (make a vibrant noise, of grasshoppers or cicadas)

meow; mew (cry like a cat)

quack (utter quacking noises)

hoot (utter the characteristic sound of owls)

cronk; honk (cry like a goose)

hiss; sibilate; siss; sizz (make a sharp hissing sound, as if to show disapproval)

sibilate (utter a sibilant)

bray; hee-haw (braying characteristic of donkeys)

oink; squeal (utter a high-pitched cry, characteristic of pigs)

clack; click; cluck (make a clucking sounds, characteristic of hens)

low; moo (make a low noise, characteristic of bovines)

cackle (squawk shrilly and loudly, characteristic of hens)

gobble (make a gurgling sound, characteristic of turkeys)

neigh; nicker; whicker; whinny (make a characteristic sound, of a horse)

gargle (utter with gargling or burbling sounds)

caw (utter a cry, characteristic of crows, rooks, or ravens)

mew (utter a high-pitched cry, as of seagulls)

haw (utter 'haw')

hem (utter 'hem' or 'ahem')

croak; cronk (utter a hoarse sound, like a raven)

sing (to make melodious sounds)

smack (press (the lips) together and open (the lips) noisily, as in eating)

give (emit or utter)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Derivation:

utterable (capable of being uttered in words or sentences)

utterance (the use of uttered sounds for auditory communication)

utterer (an organism that can utter vocal sounds)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Express in speech

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

mouth; speak; talk; utter; verbalise; verbalize

Context example:

This depressed patient does not verbalize

Hypernyms (to "utter" is one way to...):

communicate; intercommunicate (transmit thoughts or feelings)

Verb group:

verbalise; verbalize (be verbose)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "utter"):

read (look at, interpret, and say out loud something that is written or printed)

phonate; vocalise; vocalize (utter speech sounds)

troll (speak or recite rapidly or in a rolling voice)

begin (begin to speak or say)

lip off; shoot one's mouth off (speak spontaneously and without restraint)

shout (utter in a loud voice; talk in a loud voice (usually denoting characteristic manner of speaking))

whisper (speak softly; in a low voice)

peep (speak in a hesitant and high-pitched tone of voice)

speak up (speak louder; raise one's voice)

snap; snarl (utter in an angry, sharp, or abrupt tone)

enthuse (utter with enthusiasm)

speak in tongues (speak unintelligibly in or as if in religious ecstasy)

swallow (utter indistinctly)

verbalise; verbalize (be verbose)

whiff (utter with a puff of air)

talk about; talk of (discuss or mention)

blubber; blubber out (utter while crying)

drone; drone on (talk in a monotonous voice)

bumble; falter; stammer; stutter (speak haltingly)

rasp (utter in a grating voice)

blunder; blunder out; blurt; blurt out; ejaculate (utter impulsively)

inflect; modulate; tone (vary the pitch of one's speech)

deliver; present (deliver (a speech, oration, or idea))

generalise; generalize (speak or write in generalities)

blab; blabber; chatter; clack; gabble; gibber; maunder; palaver; piffle; prate; prattle; tattle; tittle-tattle; twaddle (speak (about unimportant matters) rapidly and incessantly)

chatter (make noise as if chattering away)

jaw; rattle on; yack; yack away; yap away (talk incessantly and tiresomely)

open up (talk freely and without inhibition)

snivel; whine (talk in a tearful manner)

murmur (speak softly or indistinctly)

maunder; mumble; mussitate; mutter (talk indistinctly; usually in a low voice)

slur (utter indistinctly)

bark (speak in an unfriendly tone)

bay (utter in deep prolonged tones)

jabber; mouth off; rabbit on; rant; rave; spout (talk in a noisy, excited, or declamatory manner)

hiss; sibilate; siss; sizz (express or utter with a hiss)

cackle (talk or utter in a cackling manner)

babble (utter meaningless sounds, like a baby, or utter in an incoherent way)

chant; intone; tone (utter monotonously and repetitively and rhythmically)

gulp (utter or make a noise, as when swallowing too quickly)

sing (produce tones with the voice)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s PP

Derivation:

utterable (capable of being uttered in words or sentences)

utterance (the use of uttered sounds for auditory communication)

utterer (someone who expresses in language; someone who talks (especially someone who delivers a public speech or someone especially garrulous))

Sense 4

Meaning:

Put into circulation

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Context example:

utter counterfeit currency

Hypernyms (to "utter" is one way to...):

circulate; distribute; pass around; pass on (cause to be distributed)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

utterer (someone who circulates forged banknotes or counterfeit coins)

 Context examples 

I dare say no words she could have uttered would have affected me so much, then, as her calling me her child.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

What beats me is the utter want of all object in the crime.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

With what an extraordinary smile you uttered that word—'very well,' Jane!

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

As she was a womanly little woman, the maternal instinct was very strong, and she was entirely absorbed in her children, to the utter exclusion of everything and everybody else.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

He uttered a glad little cry and bounded to meet her, while the man-animals went back hastily several steps.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

Before I could utter it he turned into his chamber and softly closed the door.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Perhaps they were the last he did utter, too.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

The first three sensible words that you have uttered since you entered this room, Watson.

(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

He was trying to utter the name of his murderer.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

“Mr. Darcy!” repeated Elizabeth, in utter amazement.

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)