I hear the sound of fingernails on a blackboard, muffled and distant when I hear someone say “utilize” when they could so much more easily say “use.”
For example: “Let’s utilize the time” instead of “let’s use the time.” There’s no need for it:
The best use for “utilize” is to mean “make use of”: “Ryan utilized his laptop in the library mainly as a pillow to rest his head on.” In most contexts, “use” is simpler and clearer. Many readers consider “utilize” pretentious.
Indeed. In the greater scheme of things, this is very unimportant. But, in the greatest scheme of things, nothing matters. Not even poetry.