adjective

utter

UH-tuh

adjective

Complete and total; absolute.

"The meeting was an utter waste of time."

"She looked at him in utter disbelief."

verb

To say something out loud; to produce a sound or word with the voice.

"He didn't utter a single word during the meeting."

"The baby uttered a soft cry."

How to Use Utter

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishEither "complete/total" (utter nonsense) or "to speak/say" (to utter a word).

Common pairings

utter nonsense utter disbelief utter a word not utter a sound

Word Forms

uttermore comparative, uttered past tense, utter plural, uttered plural, Utters plural, utters singular, utter singular, uttered singular, utterest singular, utteredst singular, uttereth singular, utmost superlative, uttermost superlative

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Can you complete this real example?

The meeting was an _____ waste of time.

Etymology

The adjective comes from Old English utera ("outer"). The verb developed separately, meaning to "put out" words.

Synonyms

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say vocalize

Related Words

say talk speak

Rhymes for utter

butter putter nutter mutter cutter gutter Sutter stutter clutter flutter shutter woodcutter

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