Library / English Dictionary

UTTER

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (adjective) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Complete and absolute

Example:

blank stupidity

Synonyms:

blank; utter

Classified under:

Adjectives

Similar:

complete (having every necessary or normal part or component or step)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Without qualification; used informally as (often pejorative) intensifiers

Example:

the unadulterated truth

Synonyms:

arrant; complete; consummate; double-dyed; everlasting; gross; perfect; pure; sodding; staring; stark; thorough; thoroughgoing; unadulterated; utter

Classified under:

Adjectives

Similar:

unmitigated (not diminished or moderated in intensity or severity; sometimes used as an intensifier)

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Articulate; either verbally or with a cry, shout, or noise

Example:

He uttered a curse

Synonyms:

express; give tongue to; utter; verbalise; verbalize

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "utter"):

blaspheme; curse; cuss; imprecate; swear (utter obscenities or profanities)

wish (make or express a wish)

call out; cry; cry out; exclaim; outcry; shout (utter aloud; often with surprise, horror, or joy)

clamor; clamour (utter or proclaim insistently and noisily)

shout out; vociferate (utter in a very loud voice)

marvel (express astonishment or surprise about something)

voice (give voice to)

raise (cause to be heard or known; express or utter)

breathe (utter or tell)

drop (utter with seeming casualness)

pour out (express without restraint)

get off (deliver verbally)

platitudinize (utter platitudes)

say (utter aloud)

represent (serve as a means of expressing something)

say; state; tell (express in words)

pooh-pooh (express contempt about)

hurl; throw (utter with force; utter vehemently)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

utterable (capable of being uttered in words or sentences)

utterance (the use of uttered sounds for auditory communication)

utterer (an organism that can utter vocal sounds)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Express in speech

Example:

This depressed patient does not verbalize

Synonyms:

mouth; speak; talk; utter; verbalise; verbalize

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Hypernyms (to "utter" is one way to...):

communicate; intercommunicate (transmit thoughts or feelings)

Verb group:

verbalise; verbalize (be verbose)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "utter"):

read (look at, interpret, and say out loud something that is written or printed)

phonate; vocalise; vocalize (utter speech sounds)

troll (speak or recite rapidly or in a rolling voice)

begin (begin to speak or say)

lip off; shoot one's mouth off (speak spontaneously and without restraint)

shout (utter in a loud voice; talk in a loud voice (usually denoting characteristic manner of speaking))

whisper (speak softly; in a low voice)

peep (speak in a hesitant and high-pitched tone of voice)

speak up (speak louder; raise one's voice)

snap; snarl (utter in an angry, sharp, or abrupt tone)

enthuse (utter with enthusiasm)

speak in tongues (speak unintelligibly in or as if in religious ecstasy)

swallow (utter indistinctly)

verbalise; verbalize (be verbose)

whiff (utter with a puff of air)

talk about; talk of (discuss or mention)

blubber; blubber out (utter while crying)

drone; drone on (talk in a monotonous voice)

bumble; falter; stammer; stutter (speak haltingly)

rasp (utter in a grating voice)

blunder; blunder out; blurt; blurt out; ejaculate (utter impulsively)

inflect; modulate; tone (vary the pitch of one's speech)

deliver; present (deliver (a speech, oration, or idea))

generalise; generalize (speak or write in generalities)

blab; blabber; chatter; clack; gabble; gibber; maunder; palaver; piffle; prate; prattle; tattle; tittle-tattle; twaddle (speak (about unimportant matters) rapidly and incessantly)

chatter (make noise as if chattering away)

jaw; rattle on; yack; yack away; yap away (talk incessantly and tiresomely)

open up (talk freely and without inhibition)

snivel; whine (talk in a tearful manner)

murmur (speak softly or indistinctly)

maunder; mumble; mussitate; mutter (talk indistinctly; usually in a low voice)

slur (utter indistinctly)

bark (speak in an unfriendly tone)

bay (utter in deep prolonged tones)

jabber; mouth off; rabbit on; rant; rave; spout (talk in a noisy, excited, or declamatory manner)

hiss; sibilate; siss; sizz (express or utter with a hiss)

cackle (talk or utter in a cackling manner)

babble (utter meaningless sounds, like a baby, or utter in an incoherent way)

chant; intone; tone (utter monotonously and repetitively and rhythmically)

gulp (utter or make a noise, as when swallowing too quickly)

sing (produce tones with the voice)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s PP

Derivation:

utterable (capable of being uttered in words or sentences)

utterance (the use of uttered sounds for auditory communication)

utterer (someone who expresses in language; someone who talks (especially someone who delivers a public speech or someone especially garrulous))

Sense 3

Meaning:

Express audibly; utter sounds (not necessarily words)

Example:

He uttered strange sounds that nobody could understand

Synonyms:

emit; let loose; let out; utter

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "utter"):

call (utter in a loud voice or announce)

gibber (chatter inarticulately; of monkeys)

crow (express pleasure verbally)

crow (utter shrill sounds)

trumpet (utter in trumpet-like sounds)

coo (cry softly, as of pigeons)

call; cry; holler; hollo; scream; shout; shout out; squall; yell (utter a sudden loud cry)

miaou; miaow (make a cat-like sound)

tsk; tut; tut-tut (utter 'tsk,' 'tut,' or 'tut-tut,' as in disapproval)

echo; repeat (to say again or imitate)

call (utter a characteristic note or cry)

shoot (utter fast and forcefully)

gurgle (utter with a gurgling sound)

cry (utter a characteristic sound)

nasale (speak in a nasal voice)

bite out (utter)

sigh (utter with a sigh)

troat (emit a cry intended to attract other animals; used especially of animals at rutting time)

lift (make audible)

pant (utter while panting, as if out of breath)

volley (utter rapidly)

break into (express or utter spontaneously)

heave (utter a sound, as with obvious effort)

chorus (utter in unison)

splutter; sputter (utter with a spitting sound, as if in a rage)

deliver (utter (an exclamation, noise, etc.))

hoot (to utter a loud clamorous shout)

grunt (issue a grunting, low, animal-like noise)

wolf-whistle (whistle or howl approvingly at a female, of males)

snort (indicate contempt by breathing noisily and forcefully through the nose)

spit; spit out (utter with anger or contempt)

groan; moan (indicate pain, discomfort, or displeasure)

growl; grumble; rumble (to utter or emit low dull rumbling sounds)

howl; wrawl; yammer; yowl (cry loudly, as of animals)

bark (make barking sounds)

baa; blat; blate; bleat (cry plaintively)

bellow; roar (make a loud noise, as of animal)

cheep; chirp; chirrup; peep (make high-pitched sounds)

churr; whirr (make a vibrant sound, as of some birds)

chirr (make a vibrant noise, of grasshoppers or cicadas)

meow; mew (cry like a cat)

quack (utter quacking noises)

hoot (utter the characteristic sound of owls)

cronk; honk (cry like a goose)

hiss; sibilate; siss; sizz (make a sharp hissing sound, as if to show disapproval)

sibilate (utter a sibilant)

bray; hee-haw (braying characteristic of donkeys)

oink; squeal (utter a high-pitched cry, characteristic of pigs)

clack; click; cluck (make a clucking sounds, characteristic of hens)

low; moo (make a low noise, characteristic of bovines)

cackle (squawk shrilly and loudly, characteristic of hens)

gobble (make a gurgling sound, characteristic of turkeys)

neigh; nicker; whicker; whinny (make a characteristic sound, of a horse)

gargle (utter with gargling or burbling sounds)

caw (utter a cry, characteristic of crows, rooks, or ravens)

mew (utter a high-pitched cry, as of seagulls)

haw (utter 'haw')

hem (utter 'hem' or 'ahem')

croak; cronk (utter a hoarse sound, like a raven)

sing (to make melodious sounds)

smack (press (the lips) together and open (the lips) noisily, as in eating)

give (emit or utter)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Derivation:

utterable (capable of being uttered in words or sentences)

utterance (the use of uttered sounds for auditory communication)

utterer (an organism that can utter vocal sounds)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Put into circulation

Example:

utter counterfeit currency

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Hypernyms (to "utter" is one way to...):

circulate; distribute; pass around; pass on (cause to be distributed)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

utterer (someone who circulates forged banknotes or counterfeit coins)

Credits

 Context examples: 

At these words, Marianne's eyes expressed the astonishment which her lips could not utter.

(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)

She uttered some words in a loud voice, and the youth joined her, who also expressed surprise.

(Frankenstein, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley)

All he could do was to utter one word, “Brandy.”

(Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

Harriet felt this too much to utter more than a few words of eager exclamation.

(Emma, by Jane Austen)

The man who followed slipped on a smooth boulder, nearly fell, but recovered himself with a violent effort, at the same time uttering a sharp exclamation of pain.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

She heard the words he uttered and understood their literal import, but she was not with him in his despair and his delight.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

"Very well," she answered, and putting on the Golden Cap she uttered the magic words.

(The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum)

I had likewise learned, from his example, an utter detestation of all falsehood or disguise; and truth appeared so amiable to me, that I determined upon sacrificing every thing to it.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)

Phelps raised the cover, and as he did so he uttered a scream, and sat there staring with a face as white as the plate upon which he looked.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Then, placing his hand upon his breast and holding himself with great dignity, he uttered the word "Maretas" several times.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)