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ausgesprochen
extremely
Used as an adverb to intensify an adjective or adverb, meaning 'very', 'especially', or 'extraordinarily'.
example
Das war ein ausgesprochen interessanter Vortrag.
That was an extremely interesting lecture.
ausgesprochen
extremely
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Meanings
Usage tips
Word structure and meaning
'Ausgesprochen' is the past participle of the verb 'aussprechen' (to pronounce / to express). In this specific use, however, it has nothing to do with speaking, but is a fixed adverb meaning 'sehr' (very) or 'besonders' (especially).
EXAMPLE
Sie ist eine ausgesprochen talentierte Musikerin.
She is an extremely talented musician.
Sentence structure and use
As an adverb, 'ausgesprochen' (extremely) always stands directly before the adjective or adverb it is meant to intensify. It is not declined.
EXAMPLE
Das Wetter war heute ausgesprochen schlecht.
The weather was extremely bad today.
Register and style
'Ausgesprochen' (extremely) is stylistically somewhat more elevated and stronger than 'sehr' (very). It is often used in written language or when you want to emphasize something especially strongly.
EXAMPLE
Wir waren mit dem Service im Hotel ausgesprochen zufrieden.
We were extremely satisfied with the service at the hotel.
Compare with
ausgesprochen vs sehr
very
'sehr' and 'ausgesprochen' can both intensify an adjective or adverb. 'sehr' is neutral and fits in almost any sentence. 'ausgesprochen' means roughly 'especially' or 'very', but sounds a bit more emphatic. It is often used when you want to clearly highlight a quality, for example 'ausgesprochen freundlich' (extremely friendly) or 'ausgesprochen schwierig' (extremely difficult). It feels somewhat stronger and more deliberate than simply 'sehr'.
ausgesprochen
Das Team arbeitet mit der neuen Kollegin ausgesprochen gut zusammen.
The team works extremely well with the new colleague.
sehr
Sie ist heute sehr nervös vor dem Arzttermin.
She is very nervous today before her doctor's appointment.
In real life
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