utter
Other forms: uttered; uttering; utters; utterest
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.
Definitions of utter
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without qualification; used informally as (often pejorative) intensifiers“utter nonsense”
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synonyms:
arrant, complete, consummate, double-dyed, everlasting, gross, perfect, pure, sodding, staring, stark, thoroughgoing, unadulterated
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unmitigated
not diminished or moderated in intensity or severity; sometimes used as an intensifier
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unmitigated
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complete
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express audibly; utter sounds (not necessarily words)“He uttered strange sounds that nobody could understand”
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types:
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call
utter in a loud voice or announce
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gibber
chatter inarticulately; of monkeys
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crow
express pleasure verbally
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crow
utter shrill sounds
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trumpet
utter in trumpet-like sounds
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coo
cry softly, as of pigeons
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call, cry, holler, hollo, scream, shout, shout out, squall, yell
utter a sudden loud cry
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miaou, miaow
make a cat-like sound
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tsk, tut, tut-tut
utter `tsk,' `tut,' or `tut-tut,' as in disapproval
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echo, repeat
to say again or imitate
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call
utter a characteristic note or cry
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shoot
utter fast and forcefully
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gurgle
utter with a gurgling sound
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cry
utter a characteristic sound
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nasale
speak in a nasal voice
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bite out
utter
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sigh
utter with a sigh
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troat
emit a cry intended to attract other animals; used especially of animals at rutting time
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lift
make audible
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gasp, pant
utter while gasping, as if out of breath
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volley
utter rapidly
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break into
express or utter spontaneously
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heave
utter a sound, as with obvious effort
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chorus
utter in unison
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splutter, sputter
utter with a spitting sound, as if in a rage
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deliver
utter (an exclamation, noise, etc.)
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hoot
to utter a loud clamorous shout
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grunt
issue a grunting, low, animal-like noise
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wolf-whistle
whistle or howl approvingly at a female, of males
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snort
indicate contempt by breathing noisily and forcefully through the nose
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spit, spit out
utter with anger or contempt
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groan, moan
indicate pain, discomfort, or displeasure
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growl, grumble, rumble
utter or emit low dull rumbling sounds
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howl, wrawl, yammer, yowl
cry loudly, as of animals
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bark
make barking sounds
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baa, blat, blate, bleat
cry plaintively
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bellow, roar
make a loud noise, as of an animal
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cheep, chirp, chirrup, peep
make high-pitched sounds
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churr, whirr
make a vibrant sound, as of some birds
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chirr
make a vibrant noise, of grasshoppers or cicadas
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meow, mew
cry like a cat
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quack
utter quacking noises
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hoot
utter the characteristic sound of owls
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cronk, honk
cry like a goose
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hiss, sibilate, siss, sizz
make a sharp hissing sound, as if to show disapproval
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sibilate
utter a sibilant
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bray, hee-haw
make a sound characteristic of donkeys
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oink, squeal
utter a high-pitched cry, characteristic of pigs
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clack, click, cluck
make a clucking sounds, characteristic of hens
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low, moo
make a low noise, characteristic of bovines
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cackle
squawk shrilly and loudly, characteristic of hens
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gobble
make a gurgling sound, characteristic of turkeys
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neigh, nicker, whicker, whinny
make a characteristic sound, of a horse
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gargle
utter with gargling or burbling sounds
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caw
utter a cry, characteristic of crows, rooks, or ravens
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mew
utter a high-pitched cry, as of seagulls
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haw
utter `haw'
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hem
utter `hem' or `ahem'
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croak, cronk
utter a hoarse sound, like a raven
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sing
to make melodious sounds
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smack
press (the lips) together and open (the lips) noisily, as in eating
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give
emit or utter
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catcall
whistle or make a suggestive comment to someone passing by
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hollo
cry hollo
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hurrah
shout `hurrah!'
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halloo
shout `halloo', as when greeting someone or attracting attention
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whoop
shout, as if with joy or enthusiasm
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pipe, pipe up, shriek, shrill
utter a shrill cry
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recite
repeat aloud from memory
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cuckoo
repeat monotonously, like a cuckoo repeats his call
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reecho
repeat back like an echo
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parrot
repeat mindlessly
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regurgitate, reproduce
repeat after memorization
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pant-hoot
communicate by hooting and panting, as of primates
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grunt-hoot
communicate by hooting and grunting, as of primates
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howl, roar, ululate, wail, yaup, yawl
emit long loud cries
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bay, quest
bark with prolonged noises, of dogs
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yap, yelp, yip
bark in a high-pitched tone
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screak, screech, skreak, skreigh, squawk
utter a harsh abrupt scream
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chitter, twitter
make high-pitched sounds, as of birds
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assibilate
insert a sibilant sound before or after (another sound)
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gaggle
make a noise characteristic of a goose
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articulate; either verbally or with a cry, shout, or noise“He uttered a curse”
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synonyms:
express, give tongue to, verbalise, verbalize
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types:
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blaspheme, curse, cuss, imprecate, swear
utter obscenities or profanities
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wish
make or express a wish
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call out, cry, cry out, exclaim, outcry, shout
utter aloud; often with surprise, horror, or joy
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clamor, clamour
utter or proclaim insistently and noisily
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shout out, vociferate
utter in a very loud voice
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marvel
express astonishment or surprise about something
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voice
give voice to
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raise
cause to be heard or known; express or utter
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breathe
utter or tell
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drop
utter with seeming casualness
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pour out
express without restraint
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get off
deliver verbally
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platitudinize
utter platitudes
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say
utter aloud
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represent
serve as a means of expressing something
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say, state, tell
express in words
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pooh-pooh
express contempt about
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hurl, throw
utter with force; utter vehemently
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lay out, present, represent
bring forward and present to the mind
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misstate
state something incorrectly
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answer, reply, respond
react verbally
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belie, misrepresent
represent falsely
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gee
give a command to a horse to turn to the right side
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aah, ooh
express admiration and pleasure by uttering `ooh' or `aah'
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introduce, precede, preface, premise
furnish with a preface or introduction
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announce, declare
announce publicly or officially
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articulate, enunciate, vocalise, vocalize
express or state clearly
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dramatise, dramatize
represent something in a dramatic manner
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portray
portray in words
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get out
express with difficulty
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declare
state emphatically and authoritatively
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declare
make a declaration (of dutiable goods) to a customs official
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mention, note, observe, remark
make mention of
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bring forward, call up
bring forward for consideration
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add, append, supply
state or say further
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explain
define
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give
convey or reveal information
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embody
represent or express something abstract in tangible form
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sum, sum up, summarise, summarize
be a summary of
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express in speech
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types:
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read
look at, interpret, and say out loud something that is written or printed
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phonate, vocalise, vocalize
utter speech sounds
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troll
speak or recite rapidly or in a rolling voice
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begin
begin to speak or say
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lip off, shoot one's mouth off
speak spontaneously and without restraint
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shout
utter in a loud voice; talk in a loud voice (usually denoting characteristic manner of speaking)
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whisper
speak softly; in a low voice
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peep
speak in a hesitant and high-pitched tone of voice
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speak up
speak louder; raise one's voice
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snap, snarl
utter in an angry, sharp, or abrupt tone
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enthuse
utter with enthusiasm
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speak in tongues
speak unintelligibly in or as if in religious ecstasy
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swallow
utter indistinctly
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verbalise, verbalize
be verbose
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whiff
utter with a puff of air
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talk about, talk of
discuss or mention
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blubber, blubber out
utter while crying
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drone, drone on
talk in a monotonous voice
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bumble, falter, stammer, stutter
speak haltingly
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rasp
utter in a grating voice
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blunder, blunder out, blurt, blurt out, ejaculate
utter impulsively
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inflect, modulate, tone
vary the pitch of one's speech
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deliver, present
deliver (a speech, oration, or idea)
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generalise, generalize
speak or write in generalities
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blab, blabber, chatter, clack, gabble, gibber, maunder, palaver, piffle, prate, prattle, tattle, tittle-tattle, twaddle, yammer
speak (about unimportant matters) rapidly and incessantly
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chatter
make noise as if chattering away
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jaw, rattle on, yack, yack away, yap away
talk incessantly and tiresomely
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open up
talk freely and without inhibition
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snivel, whine
talk in a tearful manner
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murmur
speak softly or indistinctly
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maunder, mumble, mussitate, mutter
talk indistinctly; usually in a low voice
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slur
utter indistinctly
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bark
speak in an unfriendly tone
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bay
utter in deep prolonged tones
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jabber, mouth off, rabbit on, rant, rave, spout
talk in a noisy, excited, or declamatory manner
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hiss, sibilate, siss, sizz
express or utter with a hiss
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cackle
talk or utter in a cackling manner
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babble
utter meaningless sounds, like a baby, or utter in an incoherent way
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chant, intone, tone
utter monotonously and repetitively and rhythmically
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gulp
utter or make a noise, as when swallowing too quickly
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sing
produce tones with the voice
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deadpan
speak in a deliberately impassive or serious manner
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numerate
read out loud as words written numbers
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dictate
say out loud for the purpose of recording
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discuss, hash out, talk over
speak with others about (something); talk (something) over in detail; have a discussion
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blaspheme
speak of in an irreverent or impious manner
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coo
speak softly or lovingly
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scream, yell
utter or declare in a very loud voice
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holler, holler out
shout out
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roar, thunder
utter words loudly and forcefully
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rhapsodise, rhapsodize
say (something) with great enthusiasm
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orate, speechify
make speeches; hold forth, or harangue with a certain degree of formality
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babble, blather, blether, blither, smatter
talk foolishly
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susurrate
issue soft noises
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bawl, bellow
shout loudly and without restraint
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place
sing a note with the correct pitch
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troll
sing loudly and without inhibition
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croon
sing softly
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cantillate, chant, intonate, intone
recite with musical intonation; recite as a chant or a psalm
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descant, warble, yodel
sing by changing register; sing by yodeling
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quaver, trill, warble
sing or play with trills, alternating with the half note above or below
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treble
sing treble
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hum
sing with closed lips
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call
read aloud to check for omissions or absentees
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belt, belt out
sing loudly and forcefully
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descant on
sing a descant on a main tune or melody
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vocalise, vocalize
sing (each note a scale or in a melody) with the same vowel
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harmonise, harmonize
sing or play in harmony
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descant
sing in descant
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sing along
sing with a choir or an orchestra
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psalm
sing or celebrate in psalms
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minstrel
celebrate by singing, in the style of minstrels
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solmizate
sing using syllables like `do', `re' and `mi' to represent the tones of the scale
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chirp, tweedle
sing in modulation
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choir, chorus
sing in a choir
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sing
deliver by singing
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type of:
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communicate, intercommunicate
transmit thoughts or feelings
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put into circulation“utter counterfeit currency”
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type of:
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circulate, distribute, pass around, pass on
cause to be distributed
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circulate, distribute, pass around, pass on
Pronunciation
US
/ˈədər/
UK
/ˈətə/
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Word Family
Vocabulary lists containing utter
This Poison Heart
Following her aunt's death, Bri must learn to control her unique and deadly magical gift to conquer dark forces and protect her family.
Healer of the Water Monster
Nathan, an eleven-year-old Navajo boy, sets out on a journey to find a cure for a sick water monster that he discovers in a desert.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
On his eleventh birthday, orphan Harry Potter learns the shocking truth: he's a wizard about to begin his education at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
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