Meaning & use
uttered
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“uttered” is a form of “utter”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
verbtransitiveformal
Made a sound or spoke a word with the voice, often briefly or with difficulty.
Grammar: Takes an object such as a word, sound or cry: she uttered a cry.
Patterns
- utter a word
- utter a cry
- utter something
He never uttered a word of complaint during the long journey.
The child uttered a small cry when the door slammed.
She uttered a few polite phrases and left the room.
verbtransitiveformallegal
Said something publicly, such as a threat, warning or promise.
Grammar: Takes an object and sounds serious: he uttered a threat.
Patterns
- utter a threat
- utter a lie
The witness said the accused had uttered a threat before leaving.
Nobody had ever uttered such a bold promise in that house.
The senator uttered a warning about rising prices.
Word forms
| third person singular | utters |
|---|---|
| past tense | uttered |
| past participle | uttered |
| -ing form | uttering |
Common combinations
- uttered a word
- She hadn't uttered a word since the meeting began.
- uttered a cry
- He uttered a cry of surprise when the lights came on.
- uttered a threat
- The man uttered a threat at the counter.
- barely uttered
- She had barely uttered the sentence when the phone rang.
- uttered under his breath
- He uttered the insult under his breath.
Synonyms and how they differ
- said
- Said is the ordinary word for speaking, while uttered sounds formal and often focuses on the act of producing a sound.
- voiced
- Voiced means expressed an opinion or feeling aloud, while uttered can be just a single sound or word.
- muttered
- Muttered means spoke quietly and unclearly, usually from annoyance, which is narrower than uttered.
- declared
- Declared means stated firmly and publicly, which is stronger and more formal than uttered.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: uttered or utter (adjective)? uttered or uttermost?
uttered vs utter (adjective)
The adjective utter means complete, as in utter silence, and is a different word from the verb utter even though they are spelled the same.
uttered vs uttermost
Uttermost means furthest or greatest, not spoken.
Practice
The room was so quiet that nobody ___ a word.
Choose one answer.
Uttered is the past tense that fits the pattern utter a word. Uttering is the wrong form, and entered is a different verb with no connection to speech.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “uttered”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.