Gutted

Gutted (adjective / British slang)

(Also heard as: Proper gutted, Dead gutted, Right gutted)

Definition: Devastated or bitterly disappointed. That empty, sinking feeling in your stomach when something you really wanted goes completely belly-up.

Pronunciation: /ˈɡʌt.ɪd/

Where It Comes From: Taken from the literal job of gutting a fish—pulling all the insides out until nothing is left. Folk in Britain started using it mid-last century to describe feeling completely hollowed out after a massive letdown. Football terraces and factory floors quickly turned it into a national habit.

How People Actually Use It: Used every time bad news hits. It’s what you say when your holiday gets cancelled at the airport, your team concedes in extra time, or you drop a fresh takeaway right onto the kitchen floor.

Examples in the Wild:

• “I was absolutely gutted when I didn’t get that job.”

  Translation: I was deeply disappointed after getting rejected.

• “He was proper gutted after the lads lost the final on penalties.”

  Translation: He was heartbroken by the match result.

• “Dropped my new phone on the tarmac and cracked the whole screen—dead gutted.”

  Translation: I ruined my phone by accident and felt terrible about it.

Similar Slang: Heartbroken, Crushed, Done over, Devastated, Sickened, Down in the dumps