utter

1 of 2

adjective

ut·​ter ˈə-tər 

: carried to the utmost point or highest degree : absolute, total

utter darkness

utter strangers

The event was an utter disaster.

utter

2 of 2

verb

uttered; uttering; utters

transitive verb

1

a

: to send forth as a sound

utter a sigh

b

: to give utterance to : pronounce, speak

refused to utter his name

c

: to give public expression to : express in words

utter an opinion

2

: to put (notes, currency, etc.) into circulation

specifically : to circulate (something, such as a forged or counterfeit note) as if legal or genuine

utter false tokens

3

: to put forth or out : discharge

4

obsolete : to offer for sale

intransitive verb

: to make a statement or sound

utterable

ˈə-tə-rə-bəl 

adjective

utterer

ˈə-tər-ər 

noun

Synonyms of utter

Adjective

• sheer
• absolute
• complete
• unconditional
• pure
• total
• simple
• outright
• definite

Verb

• whisper
• emit
• squeak
• deliver
• sob

Choose the Right Synonym for utter

express, vent, utter, voice, broach, air mean to make known what one thinks or feels.

express suggests an impulse to reveal in words, gestures, actions, or what one creates or produces.

expressed her feelings in music

vent stresses a strong inner compulsion to express especially in words.

a tirade venting his frustration

utter implies the use of the voice not necessarily in articulate speech.

utter a groan

voice does not necessarily imply vocal utterance but does imply expression or formulation in words.

an editorial voicing their concerns

broach adds the implication of disclosing for the first time something long thought over or reserved for a suitable occasion.

broached the subject of a divorce

air implies an exposing or parading of one's views often in order to gain relief or sympathy or attention.

publicly airing their differences

Examples of utter in a Sentence

Adjective

It's hard to believe that we were utter strangers just a few days ago.

The situation descended into utter chaos.

The children displayed an utter lack of interest in the performance.

The movie was utter garbage.

That argument is utter nonsense.

Verb

She uttered a cry of pleasure.

He can hardly utter a sentence without swearing.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

The obituaries, social media posts, and GoFundMe pages capture the utter despair of the families, though none of them reckon with the decision not to get the vitamin K shot. —Lee Hutchinson, ArsTechnica, 6 May 2026

The obituaries, social media posts and GoFundMe pages capture the utter despair of the families, though none of them reckon with the decision not to get the vitamin K shot. —Duaa Eldeib, ProPublica, 6 May 2026

Verb

The reference, for those who don’t closely follow conservative news sources, was to a line Obama uttered in 2012. —Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 1 May 2026

Often, amid the scramble of a breaking story or a crushing deadline, a cool, smiling Chardy would shrug and utter the mantra that came to define him to his Herald colleagues. —Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 1 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, remote, from Old English ūtera outer, comparative adjective from ūt out, adverb — more at out

Verb

Middle English uttren, from utter outside, adverb, from Old English ūtor, comparative of ūt out

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 4

Phrases Containing utter

• complete and utter
• not utter a word

Rhymes for utter

• butter
• clutter
• cutter
• flutter
• gutter
• mutter
• nutter
• putter
• rutter
• shutter
• sputter
• stutter

Kids Definition

utter

1 of 2 adjective

ut·​ter ˈət-ər 

: complete in extent or degree : total

an utter impossibility

utter strangers

utterly adverb

utter

2 of 2 verb

1

: to send forth usually as a sound

uttered a laugh

2

: to express in words

forced to utter the truth

Legal Definition

utter

transitive verb

ut·​ter

: to put (as a counterfeit note) into circulation as if genuine

convicted of uttering a forged check

utterer noun