utter
utter Lexical Profile
utter Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Complete, total, or absolute; without qualification (usually used before a noun to emphasize the extreme degree of something, often something negative or surprising).
"The unexpected announcement left the entire committee in a state of utter disbelief."
• verb
To say something aloud or make a vocal sound with the voice.
"Exhausted from the long hike, he collapsed onto the bench without uttering a single word."
To put into circulation or pass off as genuine (especially of counterfeit money or forged legal documents).
"The defendant was charged with forging and uttering fraudulent checks across three counties."
Word Nuance & Usage
As an adjective, 'utter' is strictly attributive (placed directly before a noun, as in 'utter chaos') and cannot be used predicatively after a linking verb (*'the chaos was utter'). Do not confuse it with the near-homophone 'udder', which refers to the mammary gland of cattle or goats.
• Rhymes for utter
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
The adjective derives from Old English 'ūtera' ('outer, extreme'), a comparative form of 'ūt' ('out'). The verb developed separately in Middle English from 'outren' ('to put out, offer for sale, or speak forth'), also ultimately rooted in 'out'.