Completely vs Utterly

When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.

Completely

Top 1,000 (very common) A2 adverb

Utterly

Top 2,000 (common) C1 adverb

Most common: Completely

	Completely	Utterly
Pronunciation	🇬🇧 /["/kəmˈpliːtli/"]/ 🇺🇸 /["/kəmˈpliːtli/"]/	🇬🇧 /["/ˈʌtəli/"]/ 🇺🇸 /["/ˈʌtərli/"]/
Meaning	Totally or fully.	completely or very much
Example	I completely forgot about the meeting today.	We're so utterly different from each other.
Register	Neutral	Neutral
How common	Top 1,000 (very common)	Top 2,000 (common)
CEFR level	A2	C1
Part of speech	adverb	adverb
Collocations	completely agree, completely understand, completely satisfied, completely different, completely unaware	utterly amazed, utterly ridiculous, utterly defeated, utterly confused, utterly hopeless
Antonyms	partially, incompletely, somewhat	partially, slightly
Common mistakes	Using 'completely' without a verb or action., Confusing 'completely' with 'totally' in formal contexts., Saying 'completely' in casual situations where simpler words like 'really' might fit better.	Confused with 'totally' in overly casual contexts., Using 'utterly' for countable nouns, which is incorrect.
Usage notes	Use 'completely' to emphasize the totality of an action or state. It's suitable for both spoken and written English but might sound overemphasized in casual conversation.	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.

See it in real clips

Breaking Bad › S1 E5

Especially when it's completely paid for.

Breaking Bad › S1 E2

Let's completely screw up your house

Breaking Bad › S1 E3

It just... It completely got away from me.

Breaking Bad › S1 E5

Especially when it's completely paid for.

Breaking Bad › S1 E2

Let's completely screw up your house

Completely

The Lord Of The Rings › The return of the king

It was utterly dark in the abyss before my feet.

The Lord Of The Rings › The Fellowship Of The Ring

Never before has any voice uttered the words of that tongue here in Imladris.

The Lord Of The Rings › The return of the king

It was utterly dark in the abyss before my feet.

The Lord Of The Rings › The Fellowship Of The Ring

Never before has any voice uttered the words of that tongue here in Imladris.

Utterly

Frequently asked questions: Completely vs Utterly

What's the difference between Completely and Utterly?

Completely: Totally or fully. Utterly: completely or very much

Which is more common: Completely and Utterly?

Completely is the most common in everyday English.

Which is more advanced: Completely and Utterly?

Utterly is the highest level, at C1, on the CEFR scale.

Are Completely and Utterly the same CEFR level?

Completely: A2, Utterly: C1 on the CEFR scale.

What part of speech are Completely and Utterly?

Completely: adverb, Utterly: adverb.

Can you show an example of each?

Completely: I completely forgot about the meeting today. Utterly: We're so utterly different from each other.

Can I use Completely and Utterly interchangeably?

Not always. Completely 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.