utterly

/ˈʌtəli/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈʌtərli/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈə-tər-lē/ (ame, mw)

utterly — adverb

1. to the greatest degree possible — used before adjectives, adverbs, and past part

1.副詞C1
釋義

to the greatest degree possible — used before adjectives, adverbs, and past participles to show very strong emphasis, especially with words that describe negative situations or extreme qualities

例句

The team's proposal was utterly rejected by the board without any real discussion.

utterly + past participle (rejected) — strong negative outcome

Walid stared at the electricity bill, utterly confused by all the extra charges.

utterly + adjective (confused) — mental state

同義詞
  • totally

    more common in casual speech; works with both positive and negative words

  • completely

    neutral register; focuses on 'every part' being affected

  • absolutely

    the strongest and most versatile; pairs naturally with positive and negative adjectives

  • entirely

    slightly more formal; leans toward completeness of scope or extent

反義詞
  • slightly

    opposite in degree — much weaker emphasis

  • partially

    to some extent rather than fully or completely

文法句型

utterly + adjective

utterly + past participle

utterly + adverb

用法筆記

Typically modifies adjectives, past participles, and some adverbs that express extreme or negative qualities. More emphatic and formal than totally or completely — rarely used with purely positive adjectives (utterly happy sounds unnatural) or with verbs of opinion or agreement (*utterly agree is uncommon).

常見錯誤

❌The weather was utterly nice yesterday.
✅The weather was absolutely / really nice yesterday.
💡utterly sounds unnatural with mild or positive adjectives; use absolutely or really instead.
❌I utterly agree with your decision.
✅I completely agree with your decision.
💡utterly is not used with verbs of agreement; it typically modifies adjectives and past participles, not main verbs.