utter
1 Americanverb (used with object)
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utters,
present (3rd person singular)
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uttered,
past participle, past
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uttering
present participle
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to give audible expression to; speak or pronounce.
unable to utter her feelings;
Words were uttered in my hearing.
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to give forth (cries, notes, etc.) with the voice.
to utter a sigh.
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Phonetics. to produce (speech sounds, speechlike sounds, syllables, words, etc.) audibly, with or without reference to formal language.
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to express (oneself or itself), especially in words.
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to give forth (a sound) otherwise than with the voice.
The engine uttered a shriek.
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to express by written or printed words.
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to make publicly known; publish.
to utter a libel.
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to put into circulation, as coins, notes, and especially counterfeit money or forged checks.
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British Dialect. to expel; discharge or emit.
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Obsolete. to publish, as a book.
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Obsolete. to sell.
verb (used without object)
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utters,
present (3rd person singular)
-
uttered,
past participle, past
-
uttering
present participle
-
to employ the faculty of speech; use the voice to talk, make sounds, etc..
His piety prevented him from uttering on religion.
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to sustain utterance; undergo speaking.
Those ideas are so dishonest they will not utter.
adjective
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her utter abandonment to grief;
utter strangers.
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an utter denial.
verb
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to give audible expression to (something)
to utter a growl
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criminal law to put into circulation (counterfeit coin, forged banknotes, etc)
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(tr) to make publicly known; publish
to utter slander
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obsolete to give forth, issue, or emit
adjective
Synonym Usage
See absolute.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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utterablenessnoun
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utterernoun
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utternessnoun
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unutteredadjective
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utterableadjective
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utterlessadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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uttersimple
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utterssimple
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have utteredperfect
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has utteredperfect
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am utteringprogressive
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are utteringprogressive
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is utteringprogressive
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have been utteringperfect progressive
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has been utteringperfect progressive
Past
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utteredsimple
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had utteredperfect
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was utteringprogressive
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were utteringprogressive
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had been utteringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of utter1
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English outren, uttren; cognate with German äussern “to declare”; see origin at out, -er 6
Origin of utter2
First recorded before 900; Middle English outre, utter(e), Old English uttra, ūtera “outer”; see origin at out, -er 4
Explanation
The adjective utter is often used as an intensifier to mean "total" — often with negative connotations (like "utter failure"). As a verb, the word has a totally unrelated meaning: to speak or to articulate a sound. If you utter something, you give it voice. You could utter a cry or utter complete sentences; either way, you are expressing yourself. However, if you declare someone an utter moron, you are saying he is a complete and total moron; not that he is a moron expressing himself. Don't confuse the spelling of utter with udder — the latter is the part of the cow that you milk.
Vocabulary lists containing utter
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"The Great Gatsby," Chapter 1 Vocabulary
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
I cackle at the distance between perfection and utter collapse, but I also feel a pang of tenderness: I am moved by their effort.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026
Upon hearing Poland’s order, Eatherly closed his eyes in a look of utter devastation.
From Slate ● Aug. 20, 2026
But when they do, it’s like watching a magic trick play out before your eyes, leaving you so stunned you’re stammering, unable to utter even a single “How?”
From Salon ● Aug. 17, 2026
But he does not utter the famous line “Rosebud.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026
But before she could utter a word of confirmation, a sudden lurch from the train sent me flying from my seat.
From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan
The alien language she utters in the Disclosure Day trailer was something she developed with Spielberg and the movie’s sound designer Gary Rydstrom.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 4, 2026
In it he utters what is now one of cinema's most famous lines.
From Barron's ● Feb. 16, 2026
And without that walk Vin Scully never utters one of his memorable calls: “In a year that has been so improbable, the impossible has happened!”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2025
"Brilliant," is one word that nearly every single England fan I speak to utters as I call out to them outside the stadium.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2025
Her mother utters her name three times: Lourdes.
From "Enrique's Journey" by Sonia Nazario
Even after Warner Bros. uttered a seemingly decisive “That’s all folks” in regard to the movie, director Dave Green believed the production’s quality would ultimately save it.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026
"It's crazy!" uttered a woman as the crowd beside suddenly burst into enthusiastic applause.
From Barron's ● Aug. 12, 2026
After the final whistle confirmed the 2-2 draw, Haaland turned his attention to Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta with his infamous "stay humble" remark, uttered twice when they came together post-match on the pitch.
From BBC ● Jul. 5, 2026
A radical departure in wording could lead Fed watchers to puzzle even more over what few syllables are uttered.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 14, 2026
It was a construction she must have once overheard, and she had uttered it in blind faith, like an apprentice mouthing the incantation of a magus.
From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan
Many were too shocked to speak, uttering few words before breaking down in tears or retreating into silence.
From Barron's ● May 19, 2026
For example, lying isn’t merely uttering a falsehood.
From Salon ● Apr. 13, 2026
She has a withering way of never uttering her former fiancé’s name, referring to him as “a man I met when I was 19.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 6, 2025
Mr Wilkinson had for months walked in and out of court without uttering a public word.
From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2025
The bird hopped up and down uttering his greeting.
From "The Birchbark House" by Louise Erdrich
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
