Entirely vs Utterly

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

Entirely

Top 2,000 (common) B2 adverb

Utterly

Top 2,000 (common) C1 adverb

	Entirely	Utterly
Pronunciation	🇬🇧 /["/ɪnˈtaɪəli/"]/ 🇺🇸 /["/ɪnˈtaɪərli/"]/	🇬🇧 /["/ˈʌtəli/"]/ 🇺🇸 /["/ˈʌtərli/"]/
Meaning	Completely or fully.	completely or very much
Example	The experience was **entirely new** to me.	We're so utterly different from each other.
Register	Neutral	Neutral
How common	Top 2,000 (common)	Top 2,000 (common)
CEFR level	B2	C1
Part of speech	adverb	adverb
Collocations	entirely different, entirely possible, entirely subjective	utterly amazed, utterly ridiculous, utterly defeated, utterly confused, utterly hopeless
Antonyms	partially, incompletely	partially, slightly
Common mistakes	Confused with 'entire' which is an adjective., Used incorrectly in informal contexts, such as in slang., Misplaced in a sentence, making it sound awkward.	Confused with 'totally' in overly casual contexts., Using 'utterly' for countable nouns, which is incorrect.
Usage notes	Used to emphasize completeness. Suitable in both spoken and written contexts; however, avoid in overly casual conversations.	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

Top Gear › S1 E1

it will have left the shot entirely.

Entirely

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: Entirely vs Utterly

What's the difference between Entirely and Utterly?

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

Which is more advanced: Entirely and Utterly?

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

Are Entirely and Utterly the same CEFR level?

Entirely: B2, Utterly: C1 on the CEFR scale.

What part of speech are Entirely and Utterly?

Entirely: adverb, Utterly: adverb.

Can you show an example of each?

Entirely: The experience was **entirely new** to me. Utterly: We're so utterly different from each other.

Can I use Entirely and Utterly interchangeably?

Not always. Entirely 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.