Lauter

Lauter is a German word with several related uses centered on the idea of intensity or exclusivity. Primarily, it is the comparative form of the adjective laut, meaning loud. In this sense, laut er is used to describe increased volume, as in Die Musik wird lauter, meaning “the music is getting louder.”

In addition to its role as the comparative of laut, lauter also functions as an adverb in everyday speech. When used with verbs, it indicates an increase in intensity or degree, for example Die Musik wird heute auch lauter, meaning “the music is even louder today.”

A distinctive colloquial use of lauter attaches to nouns to express exclusivity or emphasis, similar to “nothing but” or “pure.” For example Es waren lauter Leute im Raum can convey that the room contained only people of a certain kind or that the speaker wants to emphasize that most or all individuals present belonged to a category. Another common form is lauter Quatsch, meaning “pure nonsense” or “total nonsense.”

Etymology and grammar notes: laut comes from an old Germanic base meaning sound or noise, and the suffix -er forms the comparative lauter. The word is used across standard German and remains common in spoken language. The opposite of lauter in the sense of volume is leiser (softer).

See also: laut, leise, Lautstärke.