# unutterably

/ʌnˈʌtəɹəbli/ (US) · /ʌnˈʌtəɹəbli/ (UK) · CEFR C2 · Adverb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/unutterably
Updated: 2026-09-29

## Definition

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.

For teachers: 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.

## Synonyms

ineffably, indescribably, unspeakably

## Usage notes

- Typically modifies adjectives rather than verbs; carries a literary or highly formal tone.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.