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

The hypercompetitive magician Borden is locked in mortal combat with his nemesis, Angier (Hugh Jackman), and what remains fascinating about The Prestige is how devoted its cast and director are to depicting this rivalry between two utterly charmless protagonists. —Tim Grierson, Vulture, 7 Mar. 2026

Morgenthaler’s version—amaretto and lemon, punched up with a pour of high-proof bourbon, and smoothed out with an egg white—utterly transforms the drink. —Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 7 Mar. 2026

Here, an utterly biased, song-by-song review of Kiss All the Time. —Michelle Ruiz, Vogue, 6 Mar. 2026

Look no further than your typical classroom, where a book being passionately taught by a professor is undoubtedly being judged as utterly meaningless by at least one of their students. —Ben Travers, IndieWire, 5 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above