guttural

adjective

gut·​tur·​al ˈgə-tə-rəl How to pronounce guttural (audio)
ˈgə-trəl
1
: articulated in the throat
guttural sounds
2
: velar
3
: being or marked by utterance that is strange, unpleasant, or disagreeable
guttural noun
gutturalism noun

Did you know?

Though it is now used to describe many sounds or utterances which strike the listener as harsh or disagreeable, the adjective guttural was originally applied only to sounds and utterances produced in the throat. This is reflected in the word's Latin root—guttur, meaning "throat." Despite the similarity in sound, guttural is not related to the English word gutter, which comes (by way of Anglo-French) from Latin gutta, meaning "drop."

Examples of guttural in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The guitars and bass bounce along to the beat as Clarkson digs deep in her lungs for the guttural notes of the pre-chorus and the lightness of the chorus. Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 29 Feb. 2024 The booming voices of broadcasters can often be heard crackling on county roads and in backyards, as touchdowns elicit guttural cheers. Eduardo Medina, New York Times, 16 Feb. 2024 But the absence of full-effort reps hasn’t stopped Ray from making the guttural noise he’s become known for on all of his throws. Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 16 Feb. 2024 Her guttural stories and voice have carried her, but so have her instinctual songwriting. Robyn Mowatt, Essence, 31 Jan. 2024 The Sleater-Kinney method leans on how Tucker’s guttural vocals and Brownstein’s distorted guitars communicate with each other — Tucker does most of the singing for this 11th outing — resulting in a pillar of strength that embodies their relationship. Vulture, 26 Jan. 2024 Basing the way Leo sounds on his squeaky-scratchy, slightly guttural impression of the late Hollywood agent Bernie Brillstein, Sandler voices a crusty old iguana who’s spent three-quarters of a century — practically his entire life — trapped in an elementary school classroom. Peter Debruge, Variety, 18 Nov. 2023 The puzzled audience leaned in, trying to get a peek into what was going on in there—and that effect proved to be among the commission’s main tenets, with white lights blinding the eyes, blackouts enhancing the ears, and guttural techno thumps activating our psychic touch. Juan A. Ramírez, Vogue, 2 Nov. 2023 As the song progresses, Black’s rendition becomes more guttural. Valerie Wu, Variety, 26 Oct. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'guttural.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle French, probably from Medieval Latin gutturalis, from Latin guttur throat

First Known Use

1594, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of guttural was in 1594

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Dictionary Entries Near guttural

Cite this Entry

“Guttural.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/guttural. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

guttural

adjective
gut·​tur·​al ˈgət-ə-rəl How to pronounce guttural (audio)
1
: formed or pronounced in the throat
guttural sounds
2
: formed with the back of the tongue touching or near the palate
guttural noun
gutturally
-rə-lē
adverb

Medical Definition

guttural

adjective
gut·​tur·​al ˈgət-ə-rəl, ˈgə-trəl How to pronounce guttural (audio)
: of or relating to the throat

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