lauter
Translation
nothing but, sheer, pure, mere
Examples
Das sind lauter Lügen.
Those are nothing but lies.
Aus lauter Freude weinte sie.
She cried out of sheer joy.
Er hat lauter gute Ideen.
He has nothing but good ideas.
Grammar Patterns
lauter + Noun (plural) nothing but... He tells nothing but jokes.
aus lauter + Noun out of sheer... She acted out of sheer desperation.
Similar Words
Synonyms: rein (pure), bloß (mere), nichts als (nothing but)
Etymology
From Middle High German 'lūter' (clear, pure). Related to 'läutern' (to purify).
Memory Tips
Think of 'laut' (loud) for emphasis. Something is so 'loudly' true that it is 'purely' or 'nothing but' that thing.