vent

1 of 3

verb

ˈvent How to pronounce vent (audio)
vented; venting; vents
Synonyms of ventnext

transitive verb

1
: to provide with a vent
2
a
: to serve as a vent for
chimneys vent smoke
b
: discharge, expel
c
: to give often vigorous or emotional expression to
vented her frustration on her coworkers
3
: to relieve by means of a vent
vented himself in a fiery letter to the editor

intransitive verb

: to relieve oneself by venting something (such as anger)
comes home from work and vents to the kids

vent

2 of 3

noun (1)

1
: an opening for the escape of a gas or liquid or for the relief of pressure: such as
a
: the external opening of the rectum or cloaca : anus
c
: an opening at the breech of a muzzle-loading gun through which fire is touched to the powder
d
chiefly Scotland : chimney, flue
2
: an opportunity or means of escape, passage, or release : outlet
finally gave vent to his pent-up hostility

vent

3 of 3

noun (2)

: a slit in a garment
specifically : an opening in the lower part of a seam (as of a jacket or skirt)

Synonyms

Verb

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 
Choose the Right Synonym for vent

express, vent, utter, voice, broach, air mean to make known what one thinks or feels.

express suggests an impulse to reveal in words, gestures, actions, or what one creates or produces.

expressed her feelings in music

vent stresses a strong inner compulsion to express especially in words.

a tirade venting his frustration

utter implies the use of the voice not necessarily in articulate speech.

utter a groan

voice does not necessarily imply vocal utterance but does imply expression or formulation in words.

an editorial voicing their concerns

broach adds the implication of disclosing for the first time something long thought over or reserved for a suitable occasion.

broached the subject of a divorce

air implies an exposing or parading of one's views often in order to gain relief or sympathy or attention.

publicly airing their differences

Examples of vent in a Sentence

Verb Windows should be opened to vent the fumes. She vented her frustrations by kicking the car. Don't vent your anger on me. I screamed because I needed to vent.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
Voters vented their frustrations with living costs last week in returning President-elect Donald Trump to the White House and Republicans to control in the Senate. —Rob Wile, NBC News, 13 Nov. 2024 Several Democratic lawmakers vented to Axios that the fracas has drawn attention from their party's closing message and illustrates why Biden has largely been sidelined from the campaign trail. —Andrew Solender, Axios, 30 Oct. 2024
Noun
Additionally, there's a new vent in the center for more cooling. —Matthew Buzzi, PCMAG, 2 Nov. 2024 There’s a Gore-Tex vent at the bottom to allow condensation to run off and a grounding screw to keep it safe from lightning strikes. —Simon Hill, WIRED, 23 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for vent 

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English venten "to provide with an air hole," in part verbal derivative of vent "anus, outlet, vent entry 2," in part short for aventen "to cool (oneself, as by removing a helmet), release, let air out of," borrowed from Anglo-French aventer "to allow to escape, release, fan," probably altered by vowel reduction from Old French esventer "to fan, cool by stirring the air," going back to Vulgar Latin *exventāre, from Latin ex- ex- entry 1 + -ventāre, verbal derivative of ventus "wind" — more at wind entry 1

Noun (1)

Middle English, "anus, outlet," probably borrowed from Anglo-French, "wind, cold air, draft, outlet" (continental Old French, "wind"), going back to Latin ventus "wind" — more at wind entry 1

Noun (2)

Middle English vent, fente, borrowed from Anglo-French fente "split, crack, opening," derivative of fendre "to split" (going back to Latin findere), probaby by analogy with pairs such as rendre "to yield," rente "income" — more at bite entry 1, render entry 1, rent entry 1

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun (1)

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of vent was in the 14th century

Phrases Containing vent

Dictionary Entries Near vent

venous

vent

Venta

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Vent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vent. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.

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Kids Definition

vent

1 of 3 verb
ˈvent How to pronounce vent (audio)
1
a
: to provide with an outlet
b
: to serve as an outlet for
chimneys vent smoke
2
: to give expression to
vented her frustration on her sister

vent

2 of 3 noun
1
: an opening (as a flue) for the escape of a gas or liquid or for the relief of pressure
2
: an opportunity or means of release : outlet
his writing gives vent to his pent-up feelings

vent

3 of 3 noun
: an opening in the lower part of a seam (as of a jacket or skirt)

Medical Definition

vent

noun
ˈvent How to pronounce vent (audio)
: an opening for the escape of a gas or liquid or for the relief of pressure
especially : the external opening of the rectum or cloaca : anus

More from Merriam-Webster on vent

Nglish: Translation of vent for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of vent for Arabic Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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