lospoltern
start ranting
Definition & meaning
Lospoltern means to start making a loud, heavy, clattering or rumbling noise. Figuratively, it means to burst into loud, forceful speech—often angrily or rudely.
- The machine started clattering loudly.
- He launched into an angry tirade.
The word often suggests a sudden, noisy start.
Grammar & Word origin
Lospoltern is a separable verb: in a main clause, los moves to the end, as in Er poltert los. Its principal forms are poltert los, polterte los, and hat losgepoltert.
It combines los , which can indicate starting or setting something in motion, with poltern , meaning to make a loud, clattering or rumbling noise.
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonyms depend on the context:
- drauflospoltern means to launch into noisy or angry speech, much like lospoltern, and can emphasize speaking without restraint.
- losdonnern also suggests a sudden, forceful outburst, often with a thunderous quality.
- schimpfen means to scold or complain angrily, but does not necessarily imply loudness.
- rumpeln describes a rumbling or rattling noise, usually without the sense of an angry verbal outburst.
There is no exact antonym. Depending on the context, contrasts include ruhig bleiben (“to remain calm”) or flüstern (“to whisper”).
Common phrases & collocations
Make “lospoltern” part of your vocabulary.
Build your German vocabulary with flashcards, audio and spaced repetition.
Examples
Der wütende Kunde polterte am Telefon sofort los.verb
The angry customer immediately started ranting on the phone.
Keep exploring German
Learn words from the content you love.
Add words from websites, books and videos, then remember them with spaced repetition (SRS).
Scan for iPhone & iPad