utterly

adverb

ut·​ter·​ly ˈə-tər-lē 

: to an absolute or extreme degree : to the full extent : in an utter manner : absolutely, entirely, totally

Just when you're expecting to hear something trite or ordinary, Rich invents a tasty, utterly charming piece of ear candy.

—Carol Cooper

Whatever this stuff is, it comprises as much as 90% of the mass of the universe. It is also utterly invisible.

—M. Mitchell Waldrop

… a fascinating read, despite the fact that its unique tone is utterly lost in translation.

—Ian Buruma

Cut off utterly from her past, but socially unacceptable in this new world, Irene chooses the same refuge that's worked for her as a child: poetry.

—Sue Miller

Synonyms of utterly

• completely
• totally
• quite
• fully
• wholly
• perfectly
• all
• thoroughly
• entirely
• absolutely
• fast
• even

Examples of utterly in a Sentence

we are in fact utterly out of ideas

was utterly overwhelmed by the demands on her time

Recent Examples on the Web

Such comments are utterly bereft of thought, class and sophistication. —Chicago Tribune, 22 Feb. 2026

Videos of the shy and utterly adorable Punch tentatively circling the larger monkeys, only to flee to the solace of his stuffy after being rebuffed, have drawn increasingly large crowds to the zoo and mesmerized millions on social media. —Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 21 Feb. 2026

But both Onaodowan and the terrific Aigner Mizzelle, as Big’s messy, openhearted younger sister, Lil, are utterly electric and connected. —Sheldon Pearce, New Yorker, 20 Feb. 2026

This is both utterly confounding and sublimely beautiful. —Jason Sheeler, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above