Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adverb Completely; absolutely; entirely.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • In an utter manner; to the full extent; fully; perfectly; totally; altogether.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adverb In an utter manner; to the full extent; fully; totally.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adverb completely, entirely, to the fullest extent

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adverb completely and without qualification; used informally as intensifiers

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

utter +‎ -ly

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Examples

  • Instead of being hurt, denying, defending himself, begging forgiveness, instead of remaining indifferent even—anything would have been better than what he did do—his face utterly involuntarily (reflex spinal action, reflected Stepan Arkadyevitch, who was fond of physiology) —utterly involuntarily assumed its habitual, good-humoured, and therefore idiotic smile.

    Chapter I. Part I 1917

  • Essenes being utterly ignored in the New Testament (a fact so easily explained by _my_ theory, a fact so _utterly_ unaccountable to _his_) he conceived an affection for them.

    The Posthumous Works of Thomas De Quincey, Vol. 2 Thomas De Quincey 1822

  • Then she propped herself up on her elbows, meeting his gaze, her expression utterly inscrutable.

    Dreams of a Dark Warrior Kresley Cole 2011

  • Then she propped herself up on her elbows, meeting his gaze, her expression utterly inscrutable.

    Dreams of a Dark Warrior Kresley Cole 2011

  • I cannot repeat his words, but he stated his object at once, and said that as this was a good opportunity to speak to me alone, he wished to ask me to remove what he called the utterly useless embargo which I had placed upon him in regard to Margery.

    The Associate Hermits Frank Richard Stockton 1868

  • Mr. Fessenden stated that on a certain day he was advised very strongly by a leading financial man that he must at all events oppose the legal-tender clause, which he described as utterly destructive.

    Twenty Years of Congress, Vol. 1 (of 2) From Lincoln to Garfield, with a Review of the Events Which Led to the Political Revolution of 1860 James Gillespie Blaine 1861

  • Meanwhile, Foreign Secretary William Hague recalled Britain's ambassador in Damascus, Simon Collis, to London for "consultations" on what he termed an "utterly unacceptable situation which demands a united international response".

    WalesOnline - Home WalesOnline 2012

  • Well for a good five weeks ITV can boost its audience share by editing together programmes that contain utterly shoddy performers.

    X Factor Betting Odds: Rebecca Loos To Judge? 2009

  • And wrath, and ferocity, and intent to destroy, passed out utterly from the tiger's inflamed brain, until he knew fear, again and again, always fear and only fear, utter and abject fear, of this human mite who searched him with such pain.

    CHAPTER XXXIII 2010

  • You believe that the word of a MAN - for, and let's not forget this, Muhammad was a human being (and if I have read the Quran correctly, ALL men are imperfect), translating the word of God, should remain utterly valid, unchanged and unchanging for 1400 years.

    Sky News, Choudhary and Sharia Law Dungeekin 2009

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  • Do you give yourself to me utterly,

    Body and no-body, flesh and no-flesh

    Not as a fugitive, blindly or bitterly,

    But as a child might, with no other wish?

    Yes, utterly.

    - Kenneth Slessor, 'Sleep'.

    August 8, 2009