Word
unutterably
Phoneticsun·ut·ter·ably
US/ʌnˈʌtəɹəbli/
UK/ʌnˈʌtəɹəbli/
Definition
adv. to an extreme degree that is impossible to describe with words. You use it to emphasize a very strong feeling, usually a negative one like sadness or boredom.
adv. to a degree that is beyond the power of description or expression. Often used as an intensifier for adjectives describing profound emotional states.
Examples
“The long wait at the airport was unutterably boring.”
“After the team lost the final match in the last second, the locker room was unutterably silent.”
“The landscape was unutterably bleak, stretching toward a horizon where the grey earth met an equally featureless sky in a display of absolute desolation.”
Examples
simple
“The long wait at the airport was unutterably boring.”
contextual
“After the team lost the final match in the last second, the locker room was unutterably silent.”
complex
“The landscape was unutterably bleak, stretching toward a horizon where the grey earth met an equally featureless sky in a display of absolute desolation.”
Usage
Typically modifies adjectives rather than verbs; carries a literary or highly formal tone.
Real-World Examples
“She described the ring-shaped pin, measuring 17.6mm by 18.9mm (0.69in by 0.74in), as "unutterably perfect with all those swirly designs seen in reproductions of Celtic jewellery in a space so tiny you can't possibly see it".” “It is unutterably sweet and wholesome, and by the end of its zippy eight episodes, it leaves the sensation of being on the receiving end of a solid hug.” “He goes on to say he believes the medical approach to dealing with mental health is "unutterably archaic", although he concedes that medication is necessary in some instances providing it is "monitored very, very carefully by your GP".” “To him all that is beautiful builds walls of the celestial city in the mind of man; all that makes war against that beauty is unutterably evil.” Etymology
From unutterable + -ly, the adverbial suffix attaching to an English adjective of Latin origin. The base entered English in the 15th century from Latin un- + utterabilis, meaning capable of being spoken; the adverb followed by standard morphological rule, with no separate attestation required.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Synonyms
Word family
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/unutterably