gutted
gutted — adjective
- guttedpositive
- more guttedcomparative
- most guttedsuperlative
1. feeling extremely sad and disappointed, especially because something you had hop
feeling extremely sad and disappointed, especially because something you had hoped for or expected has not happened or has gone wrong
Kemi was absolutely gutted when she found out the concert tickets were sold out.
collocation: absolutely gutted
Omar felt completely gutted after failing his driving test for the third time.
collocation: completely gutted
The whole squad were gutted to lose the championship final by a single goal.
Ada was gutted that her best friend had decided to move abroad without telling her.
When the scholarship went to another applicant, Quinn was totally gutted.
- devastated
more intense and can describe shock as well as sadness
- heartbroken
emphasises emotional pain and loss, often used for relationship or personal loss
- crushed
equally informal; suggests a feeling of being overwhelmed by disappointment
用法筆記
Predominantly British informal. Used only in predicative position (after be, feel, seem), never before a noun.
常見錯誤
gutted — verb
- guttedpresent simple I / you / we / they
- gutteds3rd person singular
- gutteding-ing form
- guttededpast simple
1. to take out the internal organs from a fish, bird, or other animal before cookin
to take out the internal organs from a fish, bird, or other animal before cooking or preparing it as food
The fish was gutted, scaled, and rinsed before going into the pan.
passive: be gutted (in cooking sequence)
Linh watched carefully as her grandmother gutted the chicken with a small sharp knife.
Before freezing the mackerel, Tariro gutted each one and removed the heads.
The fishermen gutted their catch on the deck and threw the remains overboard.
- eviscerate
formal or technical term; rarely used in everyday cooking contexts
- clean
broader term that can include gutting, scaling, and washing
用法筆記
Commonly used in passive constructions or as a past participle adjective describing prepared fish or game (e.g. 'gutted trout'). Distinct from sense 2 in that the structure remains intact after the process.
常見錯誤
2. to burn, flood, or strip out everything inside a building, vehicle, or other str
to burn, flood, or strip out everything inside a building, vehicle, or other structure so that only the outer shell remains
The old theatre was gutted by a fire that started in the basement kitchen.
passive: gutted by fire
When Otis returned home, he found the apartment completely gutted by the flood.
collocation: completely gutted
The renovation team gutted the entire warehouse, removing all the old wiring and partition walls.
A gas explosion gutted the ground floor of the office building early on Sunday morning.
用法筆記
Often used for fire or explosion damage to buildings and vehicles. When used for renovation, it implies a deliberate total removal of the interior rather than partial remodelling.
常見錯誤
3. to remove or damage the most important parts of something such as a law, policy,
to remove or damage the most important parts of something such as a law, policy, plan, or organization, so that it becomes much weaker or less effective
The new amendments effectively gutted the environmental protection act that activists had fought for.
collocation: effectively gutted [law/regulation]
Critics argue that the budget cuts have gutted the public health system beyond repair.
The court's ruling gutted the key provisions of the immigration reform bill.
Esteban warned that the proposed changes would gut the university's research programme.
- emasculate
formal and critical; implies making something weak and ineffective
- cripple
suggests damage that prevents proper function, can be physical or abstract
- hollow out
less common; suggests removing substance while keeping the appearance
- strengthen
to make more effective, opposite of removing essential parts
- bolster
to support or reinforce, especially for laws or institutions
用法筆記
Figurative extension of sense 2. Typically used with abstract objects: laws, regulations, policies, agreements, budgets, and institutions. Subject is often a government body, court, or legislative amendment.