Fully vs Utterly

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

Fully

Top 2,000 (common) B2 adverb

Utterly

Top 2,000 (common) C1 adverb

	Fully	Utterly
Pronunciation	🇬🇧 /["/ˈfʊli/"]/ 🇺🇸 /["/ˈfʊli/"]/	🇬🇧 /["/ˈʌtəli/"]/ 🇺🇸 /["/ˈʌtərli/"]/
Meaning	completely or totally	completely or very much
Example	I **fully understand** your motives.	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	fully aware, fully prepared, fully understand, fully loaded, fully engage	utterly amazed, utterly ridiculous, utterly defeated, utterly confused, utterly hopeless
Antonyms	partially, incompletely, slightly	partially, slightly
Common mistakes	Using 'fully' in place of 'very' which is not always correct., Confusing 'fully' with 'fill' in terms of spelling., 'Fully' is sometimes misused in contexts where 'entirely' or 'completely' fit better.	Confused with 'totally' in overly casual contexts., Using 'utterly' for countable nouns, which is incorrect.
Usage notes	Use 'fully' to emphasize that something is done to the highest degree. Avoid using it in very casual speech where simpler words like 'really' may be 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.

See it in real clips

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: Fully vs Utterly

What's the difference between Fully and Utterly?

Fully: completely or totally Utterly: completely or very much

Which is more advanced: Fully and Utterly?

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

Are Fully and Utterly the same CEFR level?

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

What part of speech are Fully and Utterly?

Fully: adverb, Utterly: adverb.

Can you show an example of each?

Fully: I **fully understand** your motives. Utterly: We're so utterly different from each other.

Can I use Fully and Utterly interchangeably?

Not always. Fully 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.