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UTTERANCE
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I. (noun)
Sense 1
Meaning:
The use of uttered sounds for auditory communication
Synonyms:
utterance; vocalization
Classified under:
Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents
Hypernyms ("utterance" is a kind of...):
auditory communication (communication that relies on hearing)
Meronyms (parts of "utterance"):
phone; sound; speech sound ((phonetics) an individual sound unit of speech without concern as to whether or not it is a phoneme of some language)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "utterance"):
growling (a gruff or angry utterance (suggestive of the growling of an animal))
rasp; rasping (uttering in an irritated tone)
splutter; sputter (an utterance (of words) with spitting sounds (as in rage))
speech (something spoken)
speaking; speech production (the utterance of intelligible speech)
snarl (a vicious angry growl)
sigh; suspiration (an utterance made by exhaling audibly)
exultation; jubilation; rejoicing (the utterance of sounds expressing great joy)
pronunciation (the manner in which someone utters a word)
profanity (vulgar or irreverent speech or action)
paging (calling out the name of a person (especially by a loudspeaker system))
mumble (a soft indistinct utterance)
laugh; laughter (the sound of laughing)
howl; howling; ululation (a long loud emotional utterance)
ahem; hem (the utterance of a sound similar to clearing the throat; intended to get attention, express hesitancy, fill a pause, hide embarrassment, warn a friend, etc.)
groan; moan (an utterance expressing pain or disapproval)
expletive (a word or phrase conveying no independent meaning but added to fill out a sentence or metrical line)
exclaiming; exclamation (an abrupt excited utterance)
croak; croaking (a harsh hoarse utterance (as of a frog))
cry; yell (a loud utterance of emotion (especially when inarticulate))
call; cry; outcry; shout; vociferation; yell (a loud utterance; often in protest or opposition)
roll call (calling out an official list of names)
Derivation:
utter (articulate; either verbally or with a cry, shout, or noise)
utter (express in speech)
utter (express audibly; utter sounds (not necessarily words))
Context examples:
But I scarcely observed this; rage and hatred had at first deprived me of utterance, and I recovered only to overwhelm him with words expressive of furious detestation and contempt.
(Frankenstein, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley)
Ea is clearly a master wordsmith who is able to compress multiple simultaneous meanings into one duplicitous utterance.
(‘Trickster god’ used fake news in Babylonian Noah story, University of Cambridge)
I know that she forms conclusions of her own, and from all that has been I can guess how brilliant and how true they must be; but she will not, or cannot, give them utterance.
(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)
She would have given the world to be able to speak—and to make them understand that she hoped no coolness, no slight, would appear in their behaviour to him;—but she had no utterance, and was obliged to leave all to their own discretion.
(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)
The thing delivering such utterance must rest ere it could repeat the effort.
(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)
Nevertheless, while she disapproved of them, the strength of their utterance, and the flashing of eyes and earnestness of face that accompanied them, always thrilled her and drew her toward him.
(Martin Eden, by Jack London)
He laughed as he spoke, but the laugh was not natural, and a shade passed over his face, for the utterance of the familiar name touched the wound that was not healed yet.
(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)
His last word, in striking contrast with the smoothness of his previous utterance, snapped like the lash of a whip.
(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)
The difficulties under which they had laboured all night, and which had found utterance in the most terrific gasps and snorts, are not to be conceived.
(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)
His was a broken, jerky utterance, caused by the violence with which he hammered his numb hand upon the wood.
(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)
