verbverb

mausern

moult · molt

Definition & meaning

mausern is a German verb with two related meanings:

To molt or shed feathers, fur, skin, or an outer layer
It is mainly used for birds and some other animals. During this process, an animal loses old feathers or skin and grows new ones.
- Der Vogel mausert.
  “The bird is molting.”
- Hühner mausern sich im Herbst.
To develop, improve, or turn into a more capable person
This figurative meaning is almost always reflexive: sich mausern. It describes someone who gradually improves, becomes more confident, or reveals unexpected abilities.
- Er hat sich zu einem guten Musiker gemausert.
  “He developed into a good musician.”
- Sie mausert sich zu einer erfolgreichen Geschäftsfrau.

The figurative meaning often suggests a positive and somewhat surprising transformation.

Grammar & Word origin

Infinitive: mausern
Present tense: er mausert
Simple past: er mauserte
Past participle: gemausert
Auxiliary verb: haben
Verb type: regular verb
Common reflexive form: sich mausern

In the literal zoological sense, mausern can be used without a reflexive pronoun:

Der Vogel mausert.

In the figurative sense, it is normally reflexive:

Er mausert sich.

The word is related to die Mauser , meaning “molt” or “moulting.” Its origin is connected with the older word Maus , “mouse,” possibly referring to the appearance of an animal during the shedding process.

Synonyms & antonyms

Synonyms

For the literal meaning:

Federn verlieren — “to lose feathers”; a direct descriptive expression, but less concise than mausern .
sich häuten — “to shed one’s skin”; mainly used for snakes, insects, and similar animals, rather than for birds.

For the figurative meaning:

sich entwickeln — “to develop”; neutral and broader than sich mausern .
sich verbessern — “to improve”; emphasizes becoming better, without the suggestion of an unexpected transformation.
Fortschritte machen — “to make progress”; focuses on progress rather than a change in identity or ability.
aufblühen — “to flourish” or “to blossom”; often refers to becoming more lively, confident, or successful.

Antonyms

Depending on the context, possible opposites are:

stagnieren — “to stagnate”; means making no progress.
sich verschlechtern — “to deteriorate” or “to get worse.”
zurückgehen — “to decline” or “to regress”; emphasizes a loss of performance or development.

There is no exact everyday antonym for the literal zoological meaning of mausern , because molting is a specific biological process.

Common phrases & collocations

sich zu etwas mausern — “to develop into something”
sich zum Profi mausern — “to develop into a professional”
sich zu einem Star mausern — “to turn into a star”
in die Mauser kommen — “to start molting”
die Mauser — “molt” or “moulting,” the biological process associated with mausern