guttural

adjective

gut·​tur·​al ˈgə-tə-rəl 

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

ˈgə-tə-rə-ˌli-zəm 

ˈgə-trə-

noun

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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

That primal, guttural competitiveness takes over, and sometimes, unfortunately, emotional intelligence takes a back seat. —Brendan Keegan, Rolling Stone, 1 Nov. 2024

But this time, their guttural pleas followed the killing last week by Israeli forces of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar. —Dina Kraft, The Christian Science Monitor, 23 Oct. 2024

These babies live and breathe all the intricacies of my TV indulgences, from smooth and delicate dialog in sitcoms and dramas to guttural, explosive action scenes. —Ryan Waniata, WIRED, 27 Mar. 2023

In that film, as her character Amber (spoiler alert!) heads to her comically bloody death, Madison goes from steely-faced to positively feral, unleashing guttural screeches and flailing her limbs as if possessed. —Rachel Brodsky, Rolling Stone, 18 Oct. 2024

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

Kids Definition

guttural

adjective

gut·​tur·​al ˈgət-ə-rəl 

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 

: of or relating to the throat