transpire
Americanverb (used without object)
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transpires,
present (3rd person singular)
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transpired,
past participle, past
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transpiring
present participle
-
to occur; happen; take place.
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to emit or give off waste matter, watery vapor, etc., through the surface, as of the body or of leaves.
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to escape, as moisture or odor, through or as if through pores.
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to be revealed or become known.
verb (used with object)
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transpires,
present (3rd person singular)
-
transpired,
past participle, past
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transpiring
present participle
verb
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(intr) to come to light; be known
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informal (intr) to happen or occur
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physiol to give off or exhale (water or vapour) through the skin, a mucous membrane, etc
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(of plants) to lose (water in the form of water vapour), esp through the stomata of the leaves
Usage
It is often maintained that transpire should not be used to mean happen or occur, as in the event transpired late in the evening , and that the word is properly used to mean become known, as in it transpired later that the thief had been caught . The word is, however, widely used in the former sense, esp in spoken English
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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transpiresimple
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transpiressimple
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have transpiredperfect
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has transpiredperfect
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am transpiringprogressive
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are transpiringprogressive
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is transpiringprogressive
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have been transpiringperfect progressive
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has been transpiringperfect progressive
Past
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transpiredsimple
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had transpiredperfect
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was transpiringprogressive
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were transpiringprogressive
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had been transpiringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of transpire
First recorded in 1590–1600; from Middle French transpirer, from Medieval Latin trānspīrāre, equivalent to Latin trāns- trans- + spīrāre “to breathe”
Explanation
Transpire is a fancy way of saying "happen." You might go to a fortune teller to find out what will transpire in the future. Originally used to express when information became known or came to light, many purists will tell you that's really the best way to use transpire. It can also mean releasing vapor into the air, like when a plant transpires water through its leaves on a hot day. Note: you'll usually encounter this word in its past tense: for example, "We had to watch the replay to figure out what had transpired."
Vocabulary lists containing transpire
The Great Gatsby
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"To His Coy Mistress" by Andrew Marvell
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I Am Malala
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
While major chip makers have some helium supply in reserve, there’s some uncertainty about what would transpire if the conflict were to drag on and disrupt helium production over a longer span.
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 13, 2026
An ordinary illustrator might have dramatized the scene at ground level; St. John literally elevates his image by having the conflict transpire in midair.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 21, 2025
Each, it will transpire, carries a burden of guilt dating from the invasion.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 21, 2025
It is believed those opportunities did not transpire.
From BBC ● Sep. 5, 2025
“We? We humans kill the Overlanders? I know of your world, of the evils that transpire there. But we do not kill for sport!” said Vikus severely.
From "Gregor the Overlander" by Suzanne Collins
Freedom of the seas, it transpires, is challenging to enforce.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 21, 2026
And very little that transpires between the current-day Chase and his director would belie the notion that Mr. Chase’s brand has gone down a hole of his own digging.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 30, 2025
For one, the romance that transpires is between a living male and, let’s say, a ghostly woman.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 9, 2025
A cartoon version of Jenny Schecter come to life, what transpires in her novel is close, if not on the nose, to what takes place around her, buffered by changed names and literary exaggerations.
From Salon ● Sep. 6, 2025
Nor can all that transpires in the wider culture—from Stonewall to Will & Grace to Brokeback Mountain to Glee to a U.S. president declaring his support for legalized gay marriage—change every mind in Levittown.
From "Drama High" by Michael Sokolove
Considering the tribulations “Coyote vs. Acme” has overcome to finally reach theaters, it’s impossible not to see the parallels between what’s on screen and what transpired between the filmmakers and Warner Bros.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026
Much of the regional violence that has since transpired reflects how Iran is trying to reset its relations with its neighbors and gain the upper hand, Pollack said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026
Exactly how the situation transpired is something, even 14 years on, Ngake is reluctant to discuss, but she is open about the impact of absconding.
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026
Alas, the old girl couldn’t compete with the assortment of crises that transpired during the show’s three-week hiatus, including the once-in-a-lifetime comedy opportunity presented by explosive headlines about explosive diarrhea.
From Salon ● Jul. 14, 2026
Rowan heard none of what transpired between Xenocrates and Goddard, but he did see the High Blade hurl himself into the deep end, creating a cannonball splash that drew everyone’s attention.
From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman
"What ended up transpiring was that I was quite good at the beauty industry job," she says and eventually she dropped out of university to pursue a career in it.
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026
Paul Vieira covers Canada for The Wall Street Journal, and is based in Ottawa.He writes about what’s transpiring in the U.S.’s northern neighbor with an eye toward the broader global context.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 18, 2025
“I think it was hard enough for the SEC and others to understand what was transpiring in the market then.”
From Barron's ● Oct. 23, 2025
But finer than all that was the chilling fact that Ibsen’s text, as adapted by Amy Herzog, sounded as if it had been written yesterday — and could still be transpiring in real life tomorrow.
From New York Times ● Dec. 4, 2023
The horror transpiring in front of me, suspended for one disbelieving instant.
From "The Rock and the River" by Kekla Magoon
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
