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
noun ˈgə-trə-
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."
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web The 34-second clip set social media ablaze, with many people gobsmacked that anything, let alone what sounds like an eerie, guttural moan, could escape a black hole. 
Annabelle Timsit, Washington Post, 21 Aug. 2022 The 34-second clip set social media ablaze, with many people gobsmacked that anything, let alone what sounds like an eerie, guttural moan, could escape a black hole. Annabelle Timsit, Anchorage Daily News, 23 Aug. 2022 First, Bandit’s guttural meowing in the kitchen awakened Everitt. Fox News, 5 Aug. 2022 Johnson finished with 15 points, four rebounds and three steals (as well as a game-high in scowls and guttural roars. Tom Green | Tgreen@al.com, al, 7 Aug. 2022 Wall Street also let out a guttural cry on the news this morning. Allison Morrow, CNN, 13 July 2022 Sport and Corsa settings allow into the arrangement some guttural low-frequency harmonics that contrast with the V-10's top-end wail. Mike Duff, Car and Driver, 8 July 2022 With one swift motion the mustachioed Mayfield bites into the can, shotguns the beer, then lets out a guttural yell, fists raised in victory. Ashley Bastock, cleveland, 6 July 2022 Green has a guttural belt, one that reaches down into the soul and takes hold. Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 5 May 2022 See More
Annabelle Timsit, Washington Post, 21 Aug. 2022 The 34-second clip set social media ablaze, with many people gobsmacked that anything, let alone what sounds like an eerie, guttural moan, could escape a black hole. Annabelle Timsit, Anchorage Daily News, 23 Aug. 2022 First, Bandit’s guttural meowing in the kitchen awakened Everitt. Fox News, 5 Aug. 2022 Johnson finished with 15 points, four rebounds and three steals (as well as a game-high in scowls and guttural roars. Tom Green | Tgreen@al.com, al, 7 Aug. 2022 Wall Street also let out a guttural cry on the news this morning. Allison Morrow, CNN, 13 July 2022 Sport and Corsa settings allow into the arrangement some guttural low-frequency harmonics that contrast with the V-10's top-end wail. Mike Duff, Car and Driver, 8 July 2022 With one swift motion the mustachioed Mayfield bites into the can, shotguns the beer, then lets out a guttural yell, fists raised in victory. Ashley Bastock, cleveland, 6 July 2022 Green has a guttural belt, one that reaches down into the soul and takes hold. Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 5 May 2022 See More 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
Medical Definition
guttural
adjective
gut·tur·al ˈgət-ə-rəl, ˈgə-trəl
: of or relating to the throat
guttural
adjective
as in growling
formed or pronounced in the throat guttural sounds He made a guttural grunt when he tried to lift the desk. Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- growling
- hoarse
- husky
- gruff
- throaty
- choked
- gravelly
- raspy
- strangled
- rasping
- gravel
- coarse
- grinding
- croaking
- grating
- growly
- abrasive
- rusty
- scratchy
- scratching
- raucous
- strident
- croaky
- screeching
- jarring
- scraping
- cacophonous
- discordant
- rough
- strained
- squawking
- glottal
- cracked
- cawing
- velar
- dissonant
- uvular
- unmusical
- inharmonious
- unmelodious
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- sweet
- mellifluous
- gentle
- liquid
- soothing
- mellow
- golden
- soft
- tender
- smooth
- velvety
- melodic
- melodious
- silken
- mellifluent
- lyrical
- musical
- satiny
- euphonious
- lyric
- gliding