UTTERANCE

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does utterance mean? 

• UTTERANCE (noun)
  The noun UTTERANCE has 1 sense:

1. the use of uttered sounds for auditory communication

  Familiarity information: UTTERANCE used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• UTTERANCE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The use of uttered sounds for auditory communication

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

utterance; vocalization

Hypernyms ("utterance" is a kind of...):

auditory communication (communication that relies on hearing)

Meronyms (parts of "utterance"):

phone; sound; speech sound ((phonetics) an individual sound unit of speech without concern as to whether or not it is a phoneme of some language)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "utterance"):

paging (calling out the name of a person (especially by a loudspeaker system))

growling (a gruff or angry utterance (suggestive of the growling of an animal))

rasp; rasping (uttering in an irritated tone)

splutter; sputter (an utterance (of words) with spitting sounds (as in rage))

speech (something spoken)

speaking; speech production (the utterance of intelligible speech)

snarl (a vicious angry growl)

sigh; suspiration (an utterance made by exhaling audibly)

exultation; jubilation; rejoicing (the utterance of sounds expressing great joy)

pronunciation (the manner in which someone utters a word)

profanity (vulgar or irreverent speech or action)

roll call (calling out an official list of names)

mumble (a soft indistinct utterance)

laugh; laughter (the sound of laughing)

howl; howling; ululation (a long loud emotional utterance)

ahem; hem (the utterance of a sound similar to clearing the throat; intended to get attention, express hesitancy, fill a pause, hide embarrassment, warn a friend, etc.)

groan; moan (an utterance expressing pain or disapproval)

expletive (a word or phrase conveying no independent meaning but added to fill out a sentence or metrical line)

exclaiming; exclamation (an abrupt excited utterance)

croak; croaking (a harsh hoarse utterance (as of a frog))

cry; yell (a loud utterance of emotion (especially when inarticulate))

call; cry; outcry; shout; vociferation; yell (a loud utterance; often in protest or opposition)

Derivation:

utter (articulate; either verbally or with a cry, shout, or noise)

utter (express in speech)

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

 Context examples 

I did not give utterance to this conviction: it was enough to feel it.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

She stumbled and halted in her utterance.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

He was rather a shallow sort of young gentleman, I thought, with a handsome face, a rapid utterance, and a confident, bold air.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

A speech disorder resulting in impaired utterance of sounds by the vocal folds.

(Dysphonia, NCI Thesaurus)

Twice I saw him open his lips, and twice he put his hand up to his throat, as though a barrier had risen betwixt himself and his utterance.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

And Amy went on with her work, in the proud consciousness of virtue and the successful utterance of two long words in a breath.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

"Then what are you going to do?" she demanded again, with a tense, quiet utterance that boded an outbreak.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

Mrs. Weston kissed her with tears of joy; and when she could find utterance, assured her, that this protestation had done her more good than any thing else in the world could do.

(Emma, by Jane Austen)

How could I put into speech a something felt, a something like the strains of music heard in sleep, a something that convinced yet transcended utterance?

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

His throat worked spasmodically, but made no sound, while he struggled with all his body, convulsed with the effort to rid himself of the incommunicable something that strained for utterance.

(White Fang, by Jack London)