to utter nonsense
6
5.7
- phrasal verb
- /ˈʌtər ˈnɑːns/
:
decir tonterías
- What complete and utter nonsense.
- just utter nonsense
- complete and utter nonsense
Examples
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Incidentally, the comments about the family makeup are utter nonsense.
Blog text (1) -
That book you're holding is utter nonsense.
-
- I was forced to speak utter nonsense.
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But I still regard it as utter nonsense.
Blog text (5) -
But the above calculation is utter nonsense, too.
Blog text (6) -
Hate to be a downer, but this is complete and utter nonsense.
Blog text (27) -
This is utter nonsense.
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What utter nonsense!
Fiction book (1999) -
The argument that Prop 8 is a fight against judicial activism is utter nonsense.
Blog text (2) -
His claim that he can run a marathon without training is utter nonsense.
Synonyms
42
9.3
To speak in a way that is not honest to trick people or make yourself look good
7
9.9
To talk in a silly, confused way that has little meaning
1
7.0
To talk in a silly way that makes no sense
Antonyms
How Sensible
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'to say something completely false or senseless' is directly derivable from combining 'utter' (to produce or express words) with 'nonsense' (content that makes no sense). This is a literal, compositional verb + noun phrase following normal English patterns and will be understandable to a B1 learner who knows both constituents.
Etymology
The phrase utter nonsense puts together the verb utter, which means to say something aloud, and nonsense, which means words with no meaning. Imagine someone saying silly words that do not make sense, so it means 'to say something completely false or senseless'.