Vollends

Vollends is a German adverb meaning utterly or completely. It functions as a strong intensifier for adjectives, adverbs, or verbs and is commonly found in colloquial speech as well as in literary or humorous writing. In formal contexts, it is often replaced by völlig or ganz for a more neutral tone.

Etymology and history are not tied to a single, definitive source. Vollends is generally treated as a compound built from voll (full) with an intensifying element, conveying the sense of reaching the end or the limit. The form is attested from the 19th century onward and remains in use today, though it is perceived as emphatic, vivid, or playful rather than neutral.

Usage notes emphasize its strong, almost emphatic nuance. It typically precedes the modified term, as in vollends zufrieden (utterly satisfied) or vollends verrückt (completely crazy). It can also modify an entire clause: Er war vollends überrascht (He was utterly surprised). Compared with völlig, vollends carries a more intense or dramatic tone and is more likely to appear in expressive prose, dialogue, or humorous contexts. In formal writing, speakers may opt for weniger extreme synonyms such as völlig, ganz, or vollständig to avoid heightened coloration. English equivalents include utterly, completely, and totally, used to convey a very high degree of extremity.