Cool MateAbsolutely vs Utterly
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
Absolutely
Top 1,000 (very common)B1adverb
Utterly
Top 2,000 (common)C1adverb
Most common: Absolutely
| Absolutely | Utterly | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 /["/ˈæbsəluːtli/","/ˌæbsəˈluːtli/"]/🇺🇸 /["/ˈæbsəluːtli/","/ˌæbsəˈluːtli/"]/ | 🇬🇧 /["/ˈʌtəli/"]/🇺🇸 /["/ˈʌtərli/"]/ |
| Meaning | completely or totally | completely or very much |
| Example | I absolutely agree with your point of view. | We're so utterly different from each other. |
| Register | Neutral | Neutral |
| How common | Top 1,000 (very common) | Top 2,000 (common) |
| CEFR level | B1 | C1 |
| Part of speech | adverb | adverb |
| Collocations | absolutely certain, absolutely necessary, absolutely perfect, absolutely agree, absolutely right | utterly amazed, utterly ridiculous, utterly defeated, utterly confused, utterly hopeless |
| Antonyms | partially, conditionally, uncertainly | partially, slightly |
| Common mistakes | Using 'absolutely' when 'maybe' is more appropriate., Saying 'absolutely' in a sarcastic tone but not indicating sarcasm., Confusing 'absolutely' with 'certainly' in non-emphatic contexts. | Confused with 'totally' in overly casual contexts., Using 'utterly' for countable nouns, which is incorrect. |
| Usage notes | Used to emphasize something; can be informal in some contexts. Avoid in overly casual conversations where simpler terms are preferred. | Use 'utterly' in both spoken and written English to emphasize the totality of an action or state. It is more intense than just saying 'very'. It may not be appropriate in casual conversation, where simpler terms are often preferred. |
Frequently asked questions: Absolutely vs Utterly
What's the difference between Absolutely and Utterly?
Absolutely: completely or totally Utterly: completely or very much
Which is more common: Absolutely and Utterly?
Absolutely is the most common in everyday English.
Are Absolutely and Utterly the same CEFR level?
Absolutely: B1, Utterly: C1 on the CEFR scale.
Can I use Absolutely and Utterly interchangeably?
Not always. Absolutely and Utterly are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.