Literary notes about uttered (AI summary)
In literature, "uttered" is often used to intensify the act of speaking, transforming a mere vocalization into an evocative expression that carries emotional weight. It not only signals spoken words but also conveys the sentiment behind them—ranging from cries born of despair or pain, as seen when a character exclaims in anguish [1] or suffers a shriek of pain [2], to quieter sounds that mark moments of subtle realization or resignation [3], [4]. In other instances, the word underlines the dramatic effect of speech, as when pivotal words trigger momentous changes or reveal profound internal states [5], [6]. Overall, the term enriches dialogue by highlighting that the precise way something is spoken can be as significant as the words themselves [7].
- Mordaunt darted to the steps, understood all, uttered a cry, as if his very heart was pierced, and fell fainting on the stone steps.
— from Twenty years after by Alexandre Dumas and Auguste Maquet - Daspry seized his arm so forcibly, that Varin uttered a cry of pain.
— from The Extraordinary Adventures of Arsène Lupin, Gentleman-Burglar by Maurice Leblanc - He spoke to his daughter, who looked at me and softly uttered the necessary yes.
— from The Memoirs of Jacques Casanova de Seingalt, 1725-1798. Complete by Giacomo Casanova - " She could not immediately have uttered another sentence; her heart was too full, her breath too much oppressed.
— from Persuasion by Jane Austen - No sooner had God uttered these words than the particles of sand became a mighty swarm of locusts, that flew in all directions.
— from Filipino Popular Tales - ‘Having uttered this speech, she vanished again.
— from Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë - He raised his head sometimes, looked before us, and uttered a cry of recognition, which was responded to by a voice that came nearer and nearer.
— from Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea by Jules Verne
