# Gutted [British vs American English]



## Meridon

Another query re differences in expressions between BE and AE...

would Americans say 'I was gutted...'   BE slang for I was devastated? If not, what would the AE equivalent be??

Thanking you in advance

Meridon


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## mgarizona

No, we don't say 'gutted' except to refer to disemboweled fish and fire-ravaged buildings.

Give us an example of a sitation that might 'gut' you and I'll try to match it.


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## paul_vicmar

*Give us an example of a sitation that might 'gut' you and I'll try to match it.*
Example - The English were gutted after having lost the match to Croatia. What a dissapointment!


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## mgarizona

Let's see: crushed? Probably best just to say 'devastated'.

(Most of the words I can think of carry a notion of 'surprise' which I'm not sure is in 'gutted': shocked, stunned, dazed, etc.)


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## Meridon

ehehe.. Paul's example is a very good one mgarizona!

Yes, here 'gutted' as slang would denote _extreme_ disappointment ( not that I was gutted when England lost; it always ends in tears with England matches) or that you were devastated, shocked...definately more than disappointed.  Metaphorically disembowelled - left with nothing.

Perhaps 'crushed' would be the best in the context I wish to use.

Do you really not have an AE slang word that would be equivalent?


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## cuchuflete

Crestfallen.  Not the most common word, and perhaps a bit too high register for BE football fans, it corresponds reasonably well to gutted.

U.S. AE speakers have no illusions about our soccer teams, and so are less likely to be despondent, discouraged, or disconsolate.  Low expectations help avoid feelings that are dejected and disheartened.


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## mgarizona

Well I was living in Brussels in 1985 so the image of fans being 'crushed' after a soccer match does not ring figurative in my ears.

Probably best to say 'devastated' after all.


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## Suehil

I think 'crestfallen' is far too mild.  Though it may apply to football supporters, in the sentence "Paul was absolutely gutted when Lisa finished with him"  it is difficult to imagine that anyone would say "Paul was crestfallen ..."
My vote goes to 'devastated'


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## sdgraham

I have never heard the term "gutted" mean "disappointed" in AE. Neither does the WRD provide that definition to "gut."

Literally, "gutted" means "disemboweled." It is often used metaphorically to refer to destruction or removal of the internals of something other than a (formerly) living creature.

Perhaps "crushed" would be appropriate in AE. It is a metaphorical reference as well - obviously.


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## cuchuflete

I tried googling "fans were *** at the loss" just to see what would appear for BE and AE.

Here's a selection --


It seems like eons ago that Arsenal *fans were despondent at the loss* of their  legendary TH14 to Barcelona.

many *fans were once more upset* *at the  loss* of another classic attraction and again sought to change  (too mild)

Her *fans were left stunned at the loss*. On this, the two year anniversary of her death we take a look at teen grief 

Though many *fans were dismayed at the loss* of a crucial character, still others saw the turn of events as a repudiation of one of television's few realistic *...

*Though *fans were forlorn** at the loss* of Peca, the thought of re-uniting Bure with his former Soviet linemate drove season-ticket sales

Steve Irwins family, friends, colleagues and *fans were understandably devastated* *at the sudden loss* of a great Australian Hero

 attendance got better and better as IceCats *fans, many* *who were still stinging at the loss* of the IceCats they had cheered for *...

*Mean Judean *fans were a bit despondent at the loss* but shouted out "the championship is ours!" as Penticon walked back to the bench. *...

*Nothing as idiomatic as *gutted* shows up.


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## Elwintee

cuchuflete said:


> I tried googling "fans were *** at the loss" just to see what would appear for BE and AE.
> 
> Here's a selection --
> 
> 
> It seems like eons ago that Arsenal *fans were despondent at the loss* of their  legendary TH14 to Barcelona.
> 
> many *fans were once more upset* *at the  loss* of another classic attraction and again sought to change  (too mild)
> 
> Her *fans were left stunned at the loss*. On this, the two year anniversary of her death we take a look at teen grief
> 
> Though many *fans were dismayed at the loss* of a crucial character, still others saw the turn of events as a repudiation of one of television's few realistic *...
> 
> *Though *fans were forlorn** at the loss* of Peca, the thought of re-uniting Bure with his former Soviet linemate drove season-ticket sales
> 
> Steve Irwins family, friends, colleagues and *fans were understandably devastated* *at the sudden loss* of a great Australian Hero
> 
> attendance got better and better as IceCats *fans, many* *who were still stinging at the loss* of the IceCats they had cheered for *...
> 
> *Mean Judean *fans were a bit despondent at the loss* but shouted out "the championship is ours!" as Penticon walked back to the bench. *...
> 
> *Nothing as idiomatic as *gutted* shows up.



I think AE needs 'gutted', do any AE speakers agree?  Perhaps you could suggest a word (for any context) in exchange?


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## AngelEyes

In certain types of women's fiction, when the writer wants to raise the level of sexual tension while the male hero is being conquered, one example to describe this action might be:

_"...he felt decimated by the depth of his passion for this woman..." _

The use of the adjective participle in this way heightens the sexual attraction and angst felt between the characters.

It wouldn't be unusual to see the word "gutted" used for this purpose then. While my example targets the up-side of the word, it could also be used if the hero was extremely hurt or felt emotionally destroyed, too. 

Just like those soccer fans felt at their failure to win.

_Decimated_ is used to convey the idea that it's more than being destroyed...it's almost a tragedy. In my mind, that's how I view _gutted_, too.

*AngelEyes*


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## ewie

_Decimated_ is one of those words which puts the etymologically-minded into a state of despondency, in that it (literally) means _reduced by one tenth_.
_He felt reduced by one tenth by the depth of his passion for this woman.  _Hmmm.


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## AngelEyes

ewie said:


> _Decimated_ is one of those words which puts the etymologically-minded into a state of despondency, in that it (literally) means _reduced by one tenth_.
> _He felt reduced by one tenth by the depth of his passion for this woman. _Hmmm.


 
Yes, Ewie, I'm aware of that mathematical reference - actually it's really the acceptable use of the word, isn't it? (I'm the least mathematically-inclined member here, I'm sure.) 

But that doesn't stop the romantically-inclined from using another form of it to make a dramatic point in writing.

While many would accept that he "_gutted the fish_," certain females would very easily accept the description that _"...from the moment he laid eyes on her, he was gutted from his heart to his soul."_

_Decimated _can be used for dramatic flair to carry the meaning beyond just losing or being destroyed - whether in relationships or a game of sports.

I'm not saying that every AE person would feel this way, but in my experience, it has validity.

*AngelEyes*


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## Suehil

I'm afraid I'm with Ewie on this one.  An army can be decimated, or a population, but a person being reduced by one tenth?  For me that is more laughable than dramatic.


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## AngelEyes

Laughing matter or not, I've seen it used. It's called "Poetic License", I guess.

I also Googled it and found lots of references of the adjective participle form of this word: _...to feel decimated..._

And it has nothing to do with mathematical equations.

Maybe it's more a colloquialism. And not too popular among the more intellectually inclined. 

*AngelEyes*


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## JamesM

Perhaps this is a difference in the meanings of the word "decimated" in BE and AE. While it does come from "reducing by 1/10th" or "exacting a 10 percent tax" it has a third meaning in Merriam-Webster (www.m-w.com):

3 a*:* to reduce drastically especially in number <cholera _decimated_ the population> b*:* to cause great destruction or harm to <firebombs _decimated_ the city> <an industry _decimated_ by recession>


Although it's listed as 3b, I'd say that the most common use of it I've heard in AE is 3B. 

If "gutted" can have an alternate meaning in BE, I don't think it's unreasonable to allow "decimated" to have an alternate meaning in AE. This alternate meaning isn't even slang in AE.

[edit]Searching on www.google.co.uk, I find many examples of "decimated" being used in this broader fashion.  For example:

http://www.glaucus.org.uk/Oilpoll.htm
If its population was decimated, with over 90% losses, in an area, the remaining crabs should produce enough planktonic larvae for recovery in a couple of years or so. 

I wonder if this a difference of theory over practice when it comes to "decimated" meaning exactly 1/10th.


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## Trinibeens

Elwintee said:


> I think AE needs 'gutted', do any AE speakers agree? Perhaps you could suggest a word (for any context) in exchange?


 
I do think 'gutted' would be an excellent addition to AE.    It's so accurately descriptive of the feeling that accompanies loss.  However I've now heard it so often on BBC America in reference to trivial matters, that I'm afraid it's already lost some of its desirability.

As to suggesting a word in exchange, I cannot think of one.  In my experience BE speakers use far more colloquialisms than AE speakers.  I sometimes feel I need a BE slang dictionary just to get through a half-hour on BBC America!

No offense meant


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## ewie

Trinibeens said:


> No offense meant


 
No offen*c*e taken, Trini ~ in fact, I read it as a compliment and it's been good to learn that a word universally used in BE (or EE at least) is completely _unused_ in the USA.

I should have said when I first posted on 'decimated' that 99 times out of 100 the word is used in the sense of _devastated_ in the UK too. (Just how often does one need to refer to something that has been reduced by one tenth?)


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## pob14

I realize this is an old thread, but: Am I the only American who uses “gutted” regularly? I certainly use it much more often than “decimated.”


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## Egmont

pob14 said:


> I realize this is an old thread, but: Am I the only American who uses “gutted” regularly? I certainly use it much more often than “decimated.”


I might use it in the context of cleaning fish, but not for disappointment of any severity.


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## kentix

I think I hear it occasionally but not often.


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## Juju333

Wait a minutes, gutted doesn't mean extremely disappointed?
Like a girl turns you down, so you can say "I'm so gutted"???


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## Roxxxannne

I"ve never heard an American English speaker use 'gutted' to describe their emotional state.


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## Juju333

Where have I heard that then? It's so weird! Then what do you say? Just "I was very disappointed"???


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## Wordy McWordface

Juju333 said:


> Wait a minutes, gutted doesn't mean extremely disappointed?
> Like a girl turns you down, so you can say "I'm so gutted"???


That's exactly what it means.

It's the first definition here:

gutted - WordReference.com Dictionary of English


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## Juju333

Wordy McWordface said:


> That's exactly what it means.


So it's only used in England ? Not in America ?


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## Wordy McWordface

Well, it's used throughout the UK _(not _just England!!).  Also in Ireland, and very likely in Australia and New Zealand, too.

It doesn't tend to be used in the US, but it's not unheard of. See #22 and #24 above. Pob14 uses it frequently and Kentix hears it occasionally, apparently.


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## Juju333

What is the world Americans would use then? They don't just say "very disappointed" right? There must be another word.
In this context: Kelly turned me down, I'm so ???


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## Wordy McWordface

Juju333 said:


> What is the world Americans would use then? They don't just say "very disappointed" right? There must be another word.
> In this context: Kelly turned me down, I'm so ???


If you read the rest of this thread you might get some suggestions.


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## Hermione Golightly

I'd say it means more _upset_ than disappointed. You might be disappointed too.
(I don't know where 'decimated' comes into it)


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## Roxxxannne

Juju333 said:


> What is the world Americans would use then? They don't just say "very disappointed" right? There must be another word.
> In this context: Kelly turned me down, I'm so ???


See my comment #28.  I'd use 'devastated' or 'upset' depending on what my actual feeling is.


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## Juju333

Roxxxannne said:


> See my comment #28.  I'd use 'devastated.'


Yes I read that, but I find that a bit much. Maybe it's just me.


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## kentix

Gutted literally means your entire insides are torn out. _That_ is a bit much itself.

Somebody turned you down and your entire insides are torn out from something as simple as that?


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## Hermione Golightly

It's not a bit much. It's having your guts cut out, emotionally. 'Gutted' might not be the word you are seeking.


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## Juju333

Ok well I had no idea. I thought it simply meant very very upset and disappointed.


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## kentix

You might be gutted if your child died.


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## Wordy McWordface

kentix said:


> You might be gutted if your child died.


No. That's not how we use it - at least not in British English.

It's far too colloquial and flippant for such a context.


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## Stoggler

I was thinking the other day how infrequently I hear the word 'gutted' now*.  Like a lot of slang words, they gain a lot of usage, stick around for a few years, then fade away.

I can remember when I first heard the word.  We (my family) moved house all of five miles in the late 80s, and the kids in the new area where I lived used the word 'gutted'.  It took me a little while to figure out what they meant, as it was not used in the town where I had moved from at that point (I carried on attending the same school in the town from which we moved, so I was able to know that it still wasn't used for a while yet.  By the mid-90s however, it was being used on BBC dramas, so it had become very widespread by then.

By the time this thread was started in 2007, its usage had possibly peaked.

I've always thought of the word as purely British, and of only a recent phenomenon.  I would never have expected Americans to know or use the word.

*I keep a list of words on my mobile that have fallen out of use in my lifetime, of which gutted is one.  They're all slang, and are of a time and place.  If I hear or read one that jogs a memory, it gets added to the list!


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## Ponyprof

I've never heard anyone say "gutted" in real life, not even British people. But I've read it and heard it in British films and TV shows. I feel like I may have read it in Roddy Doyle novels, that are trying for very accurate dialogue (in this case, Irish). 

My impression from TV shows is that it's a word young or youngish men would use, rather than women. A way of saying deeply upset and hurt, without using too much emotional language. But it's actually a great descriptor of that horrible empty feeling in the stomach attendant on being really upset.


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## kentix

I wouldn't call it slang at all in American English.

Here are some web examples.

- of all the terrible things _he_ had endured in the last six years, losing _his son_ was the one _that_ had _gutted_ him. The day _they_ 'd taken him into an interview room _and_ told him _his_ innocent little _boy_ had drowned, something inside Nick had died.

- This week, I was gutted by the death of a stranger. I never met her, but I felt as though I knew her.

- Gutted by the death of Jeff Grosso, I decided to do this illustration in tribute to him. RIP Jeff Grosso.

- Portland Chefs, Food Media 'Gutted' by the Death of Anthony Bourdain

Another food writer, former _MIX Magazine_ and Eater PDX editor Danielle Centoni, used a word popping up in almost all of the local retrospectives: gutted. “Absolutely shocked and gutted by this,” she writes.​


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## Ponyprof

kentix said:


> I wouldn't call it slang at all in American English.
> 
> Here are some web examples.
> 
> - of all the terrible things _he_ had endured in the last six years, losing _his son_ was the one _that_ had _gutted_ him. The day _they_ 'd taken him into an interview room _and_ told him _his_ innocent little _boy_ had drowned, something inside Nick had died.
> 
> - This week, I was gutted by the death of a stranger. I never met her, but I felt as though I knew her.
> 
> - Gutted by the death of Jeff Grosso, I decided to do this illustration in tribute to him. RIP Jeff Grosso.
> 
> - Portland Chefs, Food Media 'Gutted' by the Death of Anthony Bourdain
> 
> Another food writer, former _MIX Magazine_ and Eater PDX editor Danielle Centoni, used a word popping up in almost all of the local retrospectives: gutted. “Absolutely shocked and gutted by this,” she writes.​


Interesting. Then it is gaining traction in some groups in the US. I'd say chefs and food critics are a pretty international crowd, and probably have lots of exposure to their UK counterparts. I can imagjne Gordon Ramsay saying gutted. 

I'm still curious as to whether this word is being picked up by women, or if it's a kind of bad boy expression. I'm always curious about expressions being gendered.


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## Stoggler

Ponyprof said:


> My impression from TV shows is that it's a word young or youngish men would use, rather than women.


I’ve heard plenty of girls/women use it.  If there were any differences in British usage, it was probably more class- and age-based.

It was a young person’s word back in the late 20th century when I first heard it, but if it is used now, it could be anyone of any age (but I would expect those who were kids, teens or in their early 20s back in the 90s more likely to still use it).  I would actually be surprised to hear a 2021 teen use it today.


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## Ponyprof

Stoggler said:


> I’ve heard plenty of women use it.
> 
> It was a young person’s word back in the late 20th century when I first heard it, but if it is used now, it could be anyone of any age (but I would expect those who were kids, teens or in their early 20s back in the 90s more likely to still use it).


Ah OK. The British TV shows we get here on rerun on PBS are often 10 or even 20 years old.


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## Stoggler

Ponyprof said:


> Ah OK. The British TV shows we get here on rerun on PBS are often 10 or even 20 years old.



I always got the impression that the word ‘gutted’ was an easy word to use for writers of tv dramas, as it was very current and wasn’t a swear word, so it could be shown at any time of the day.


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## Ponyprof

Stoggler said:


> I always got the impression that the word ‘gutted’ was an easy word to use for writers of tv dramas, as it was very current and wasn’t a swear word, so it could be shown at any time of the day.


That totally makes sense.


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## ain'ttranslationfun?

I can see 'gutted -> eviscerated, disemboweled' to mean "emotionally devastated" [you feel as though your innards had been torn out], but it's most often used to mean "rendered useless" as in "Healthcare and gun legislation bills are systematically gutted by Republican Senators.", i.e., they are passed, if they are, with emendments that render them ineffective.


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## kentix

Ponyprof said:


> I'm still curious as to whether this word is being picked up by women, or if it's a kind of bad boy expression. I'm always curious about expressions being gendered.


I'm fairly certain Danielle Centoni is a woman.  After looking her up I'm even more sure. She appears to me to be in her mid-30s.

I guess I'm coming at this from a completely different direction because I don't see it as slang in the slightest, I don't see it as a bad boy expression, I don't see it as likely to be used by or about teenagers since they generally don't have the sort of life experiences where they would be described as gutted or any need to say it. It sounds like a very serious, mature expression to me.



Stoggler said:


> it was very current and wasn’t a swear word, so it could be shown at any time of the day.


I don't see it as standing in for anything and certainly not a swear word. It just describes the feelings of someone who has been through a wrenching emotional experience.

I would really like to hear some other AE speakers opinions.


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## Ponyprof

It's a useful word. It sounds as if it has been moving into American usage over the past decade, but I've missed it. It also sounds like it's nongendered in these American instances. 

However, I have still not heard this word used in spontaneous speech in NA. The examples are online or journalism, and in NA we do sometimes adopt British expressions in journalism that aren't in general use. 

I'm happy to stand corrected if there are examples of this word being used spontaneously in NA speech.


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## Stoggler

kentix said:


> I don't see it as standing in for anything and certainly not a swear word. It just describes the feelings of someone who has been through a wrenching emotional experience.
> I


No one said it was standing in for anything, I certainly wasn’t suggesting that it was.  It was however a useful word for script writers because it was in vogue (so they could have people sounding up to date) while not being a swear word or likely to cause offence in any way (so any character, even children, could use it without any complaints).


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## ain'ttranslationfun?

If I'm Not Mistaken, I've heard it on CNN.


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## JulianStuart

ain'ttranslationfun? said:


> I can see 'gutted -> eviscerated, disemboweled' to mean "emotionally devastated" [you feel as though your innards had been torn out], but it's most often used to mean "rendered useless" as in "Healthcare and gun legislation bills are systematically gutted by Republican Senators.", i.e., they are passed, if they are, with emendments that render them ineffective.


And a house can be gutted by fire.  Literal versus figurative seems to be the theme in this thread


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## AngelEyes

I can certainly tell you when I feel "gutted." It's when I read about innocent animals being harmed. It's when I read all about child sex trafficking. It's when I read the sad, sad stories about seniors, and their loneliness, their helplessness, their absolutely gut-wrenching pain of being isolated from their families right now. 

Feeling gutted is exactly that. It's a deep, deep pain that's almost so horrific, you don't want to verbalize it. 

Maybe you don't say it out loud, but I KNOW that every damn one of you have some personal issue that "guts" you to your very core.

It's pain in your solar plexus that's so potent it's embedded deep where you don't want to go.


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## Ponyprof

AngelEyes said:


> I can certainly tell you when I feel "gutted." It's when I read about innocent animals being harmed. It's when I read all about child sex trafficking. It's when I read the sad, sad stories about seniors, and their loneliness, their helplessness, their absolutely gut-wrenching pain of being isolated from their families right now.
> 
> Feeling gutted is exactly that. It's a deep, deep pain that's almost so horrific, you don't want to verbalize it.
> 
> Maybe you don't say it out loud, but I KNOW that every damn one of you have some personal issue that "guts" you to your very core.
> 
> It's pain in your solar plexus that's so potent it's embedded deep where you don't want to go.


Yes, it's actually a vivid word to describe a feeling. I can see why it would be adopted and even cross the Atlantic. 

I've only heard it on British TV shows. So far.


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## natkretep

I watch a lot of cookery competitions on television - _Bake Off, MasterChef, Britain's Best Home Cook_ and so on - and not surprisingly 'gutted' turns up very often. Different versions of 'I'd be gutted if I had to leave the competition now.' As far as I can tell, it's used by young and old, men and women.

(On another note: we had new coronavirus restrictions which meant there would be no choir at church. Our choir director said, 'I'm gutted.')


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## AmericanAbroad

Meridon said:


> Another query re differences in expressions between BE and AE...
> 
> would Americans say 'I was gutted...'   BE slang for I was devastated? If not, what would the AE equivalent be??
> 
> Thanking you in advance
> 
> Meridon


"Gutted" is not a common colloquial expression in American english to indicate that someone is devastated.  It would more commonly be used to talk about how a fish was gutted as part of the preparing it for eating, or a building was gutted as part of some building work, either restoration or destruction.  However, an individual could say, "I was really gutted by that experience..." and the listener would understand that the experience involved excruciating pain in the center of the body, not necessarily physical; it could be used as a metaphor.  Again this is not the common usage as in BE, but it would not be either unthinkable or incomprehensible for individual usage in American English.


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## Kotuku33

Just to chime in - I am Canadian living in New Zealand. Here in NZ it's a very common word to express what Canadians would colloquially express as feeling *bummed out*. You feel really down about something that's happened, frustrated, let down. But I don't think people here would use it in reaction to someone's death. Deaths are about pure sadness, whereas gutted is more about disappointment - you wouldn't say you were disappointed that your relative died.

That being said, the example someone gave above - "his son's death gutted him", in the passive form - sounds plausible to me. It's different, somehow. Different connotation, evisceration. Not sure how to explain it.

I have also heard people say "That is just so gutting."


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