guttural

adjective

gut·​tur·​al ˈgə-tə-rəl 

ˈgə-trəl

1

: articulated in the throat

guttural sounds

2

: velar

3

: being or marked by utterance that is strange, unpleasant, or disagreeable

guttural noun

gutturalism

ˈgə-tə-rə-ˌli-zəm 

ˈgə-trə-

noun

Did you know?

Get your mind out of the gutter. Despite appearances, guttural is not related to the English word gutter; that word comes ultimately from the Latin verb gutta, meaning “drop,” while guttural has a different Latin root: the noun guttur, meaning “throat.” Since the late 1500s guttural has been used to describe sounds that are formed or pronounced in the throat, from cries and sobs to howls and grunts. A second sense, describing sounds or utterances which strike the listener as harsh or disagreeable (as in “the guttural roar of a motorcycle engine disturbed the afternoon’s quiet”) followed. A new sense appears to be developing as well, describing things that are instinctively or deeply felt irrespective of grunts or noises from the throat, as in “a guttural response/reaction,” but this sense has yet to meet the criteria for inclusion in our dictionary.

Examples of guttural in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The result is a guttural yell, raw and poetic, and a real showcase for Imogen Poots as Lidia Yuknavitch, whose memoir of the same name Stewart adapted for the screen. —Rachel Handler, Vulture, 17 May 2025

The sounds of guttural growls and bone-chilling howls will once again echo throughout the pitch-black forest outside a Bavarian village when a new roller coaster with a familiar name and glowing red eyes returns to Busch Gardens Williamsburg. —Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 11 Apr. 2025

One such problem is a too-common vocal style that is expressed in guttural growls, making lyrics difficult to decipher — at least for me. —Mikal Gilmore, Rolling Stone, 30 Mar. 2025

War within a war Rosalinda Cabanillas lets out a guttural wail that echoes across the entire cemetery. —Isobel Yeung, CNN Money, 2 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle French, probably from Medieval Latin gutturalis, from Latin guttur throat

First Known Use

1594, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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Kids Definition

guttural

adjective

gut·​tur·​al ˈgət-ə-rəl 

1

: formed or pronounced in the throat

guttural sounds

2

: formed with the back of the tongue touching or near the palate

guttural noun

gutturally

-rə-lē

adverb

Medical Definition

guttural

adjective

gut·​tur·​al ˈgət-ə-rəl, ˈgə-trəl 

: of or relating to the throat