outrageous / unheard
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outrageous
Scandalous, outrageous, or insolent; something that far exceeds the limits of what is acceptable or expected.
Es ist eine unerhörte Frechheit, so über abwesende Kollegen zu sprechen!
It is an outrageous piece of impudence to speak about absent colleagues like that!
The word consists of the prefix 'un-' and 'erhört', the past participle of 'erhören' (to hear and grant a request). The literal meaning is 'not heard'. From this comes the more common figurative meaning 'scandalous, because nothing like it has been seen before'.
Seine Bitte um Hilfe blieb unerhört.
His request for help went unheard.
The meaning depends heavily on the context. If it refers to behavior or a statement, it means 'outrageous'. If it refers to a request or a call, it means 'not heard'. If it serves to describe a quality, it means 'extreme' or 'unprecedented'.
Sein Verhalten war eine unerhörte Provokation. (empörend)
His behavior was an outrageous provocation. (outrageous)
In the meaning 'scandalous', 'unerhört' (outrageous) is often combined with nouns like 'Frechheit' (impudence), 'Vorwurf' (accusation), 'Forderung' (demand), or 'Verhalten' (behavior). It can also stand alone as an exclamation of outrage.
Das ist eine unerhörte Unterstellung!
That is an outrageous insinuation!
In this meaning, 'unerhört' (extraordinary) serves as a strong intensifier for a noun and can describe both positive and negative qualities. It emphasizes the exceptional degree.
Er hatte ein unerhörtes Glück im Spiel.
He had extraordinary luck in the game.
enormous
'enorm' and 'unerhört' can both express something very large or extreme. Here, 'enorm' is the normal and neutral word for large amounts, major changes, or high achievements. 'unerhört' sounds stronger and often more elevated or dramatic. In the meaning 'very large', it is usually used for emphasis, for example with 'eine unerhörte Summe' (an extraordinary sum) or 'ein unerhörter Aufwand' (an extraordinary effort). Important: 'unerhört' can also mean 'outrageous'. That is why 'enorm' is better if you want to speak clearly and neutrally about size or strength.
Für das kleine Projekt verlangte die Firma eine unerhörte Summe.
For the small project, the company demanded an extraordinary sum.
Wegen der Hitze war der Wasserverbrauch im Sommer enorm.
Because of the heat, water consumption in the summer was enormous.