pent-up

[pent-uhp]

adjective

1. not vented or expressed; held inside; restrained; curbed.

   pent-up emotions;

   pent-up rage.

   Synonyms: suppressed, repressed, confined

pent-up

adjective

1. not released; repressed

   pent-up emotions

2. kept unwillingly

   I've been pent up in this office for over a year

Word History and Origins

Origin of pent-up¹

First recorded in 1705–15; adjective use of verb phrase pent up

Example Sentences

It gives a glimpse of the film's heightened and highly stylised gothic approach, and is full of pent-up tension, shots of bread being suggestively kneaded, and a finger being put into a fish's mouth.

From BBC

“There was a lot of pent-up demand,” said Colleen Bell, executive director of the California Film Commission.

From Los Angeles Times

Years of pent-up demand resulted in an 80-date trek around the continent, including dates at Wembley Arena and outdoor shows in Italy, France and Ireland.

From BBC

"The current demonstrations are different – the grievances run deeper and are likely more broadly felt. The protests reflect people's sense of economic insecurity and pent-up resentment toward the greed and excesses of their elected officials."

From BBC

It was about a pent-up need for truth in this city.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• repressed 
• stifled 
• suppressed 

When To Use

What does pent-up mean?

Pent-up is used to describe something that is repressed or not expressed, such as feelings, as in Tina had a lot of pent-up anger over her parents’ divorce that she did not know how to express.Pent-up also describes something that has not been vented, like a gas, which causes pressure to build, as in Tremors release pent-up energy beneath the earth’s crust.Example: All this pent-up anger is bad for your mental health.