der  Ausreißer

B2

Estimated CEFR level.

/ˈaʊsˌʁaɪsɐ/

🧐 What exactly is an *Ausreißer*?

The German word der Ausreißer primarily describes three things:

• Person or animal running away: Someone (often a young person) or an animal that runs away from home or an institution without permission. 🏃‍♂️💨 Example: Der jugendliche Ausreißer wurde von der Polizei aufgegriffen. (The young runaway was picked up by the police.)
• Athlete breaking away: In sports, especially cycling or running, a participant who breaks away from the main group (peloton) and tries to lead alone. 🚴‍♀️💨 Example: Eine Gruppe von drei Ausreißern bestimmte das Rennen. (A group of three breakaways dominated the race.)
• Statistical value that deviates significantly: In statistics and data analysis, a measurement that significantly differs from the other values in a data set. 📊📈 Example: Dieser hohe Wert ist ein klarer Ausreißer in unserer Statistik. (This high value is a clear outlier in our statistics.)

⚠️ The connotation can vary depending on the context: Often negative or concerned for runaways, neutral to admiring in sports, and neutral descriptive in statistics.

Article rules for der, die, and das

📝 Grammar in Detail: *Der Ausreißer*

The noun der Ausreißer is masculine. It is declined as follows:

💡 Example Sentences for Grammar

1. Die Polizei sucht nach dem Ausreißer. (The police are looking for the runaway. - Dative Singular, person)
2. Der Sieg des Ausreißers war überraschend. (The breakaway's victory was surprising. - Genitive Singular, sport)
3. Wir müssen die Ausreißer in den Daten identifizieren. (We need to identify the outliers in the data. - Accusative Plural, statistics)
4. Viele Ausreißer kehren freiwillig zurück. (Many runaways return voluntarily. - Nominative Plural, person)

The feminine form is die Ausreißerin (plural: die Ausreißerinnen).

🔄 How is '*der Ausreißer*' used?

The usage of der Ausreißer heavily depends on the context:

• In a social context: When talking about a young runaway (jugendlicher Ausreißer), there's often an undertone of concern. It describes someone running away from problematic situations or simply out of a desire for adventure.
• In sports (e.g., cycling): Here, the term is neutral to positive. An Ausreißer shows courage and initiative by trying to escape the main field (Peloton). It's a common tactic.
• In statistics/data analysis: Here, the term is purely technical, describing a data point that doesn't fit the pattern. Such Ausreißer (outliers) might indicate measurement errors or special, rare events. They often need separate consideration or cleaning.

Confusion is rare as the context usually makes the meaning clear. The underlying verb is "ausreißen" (to run away, to break away, also: to pull out plants).

🧠 Mnemonics for '*der Ausreißer*'

Article Mnemonic

Think: Der Mann (the man), der Athlet (the athlete), der Wert (the value) – they can all 'tear out' or run away (ausreißen). The masculine form **der** is dominant here, linking to these typical roles.

Meaning Mnemonic

Focus on the verb "aus-reißen": Someone **reißt** (tears, rips, runs) themselves **aus** (out) of a group, situation, or pattern. Whether it's a person, athlete, or data point – they are 'out' (aus) and have 'broken free' (reißen).

↔️ Synonyms and Antonyms

⚠️ Similar Words

• Aussteiger: Someone who consciously leaves a social group, scene, or lifestyle (e.g., leaving a cult). Not necessarily secretive like an Ausreißer.
• Abtrünniger: Someone who betrays or deserts a group, party, or religion (often with a negative connotation of betrayal).

😄 A Little Joke

Warum nehmen Statistiker Ausreißer nicht mit zum Picknick?
... Weil sie immer die Decke sprengen!

(Why don't statisticians take outliers to picnics?
... Because they always skew the blanket! / Because they always exceed the limits! - Play on words: 'die Decke sprengen' can mean exceed limits/blow the budget, but literally 'burst the blanket')

📜 A Little Poem

Der Wert tanzt aus der Reihe wild,
ein Punkt, der nicht ins Schema willt.
Im Rennen einer, der enteilt,
als Ausreißer die Menge pfeilt.
Ein Kind, das fort von Hause lief,
die Sorge der Familie tief.
Ein Wort, drei Welten, klar und schlicht,
zeigt, was vom Kurs ab, bricht.

(The value wildly dances out of line,
a point that doesn't fit the design.
In the race, one who speeds away,
as a breakaway, leads the fray.
A child who secretly left home,
the family's worry deeply sown.
One word, three worlds, clear and plain,
shows what deviates, breaks the chain.)

🤔 Little Riddle

Ich bin ein Punkt, der aus der Norm fällt krass.
Ich bin ein Sportler, gebe Vollgas, ohne Pass.
Ich bin ein Kind, das heimlich geht bei Nacht.

Wer bin ich, gib gut Acht?

(I am a point that deviates extremely from the norm.
I am an athlete, going full throttle, without a pass/peer.
I am a child who leaves secretly at night.

Who am I, pay close attention?)

Solution: der Ausreißer

ℹ️ Other Information

Word Formation

The word Ausreißer is a noun formed from the verb ausreißen with the suffix -er.

• aus-: Prefix indicating movement outward, leaving, or separation.
• reißen: Verb meaning to pull, tear, run/ride fast, break.
• -er: Suffix used to form masculine nouns, often derived from verbs (denotes a person or thing performing the action).

Feminine Form

The feminine form is die Ausreißerin (plural: die Ausreißerinnen).