vent

¹ American  

[vent] / vɛnt /

noun

1. an opening, as in a wall, serving as an outlet for air, smoke, fumes, or the like.

2. an opening at the earth's surface from which volcanic material, as lava, steam, or gas, is emitted.

3. Zoology. the anal or excretory opening of animals, especially of those below mammals, as birds and reptiles.

4. the small opening at the breech of a gun by which fire is communicated to the charge.

5. a means of exit or escape; an outlet, as from confinement.

6. expression; utterance; release.

   to give vent to one's emotions.

7. Obsolete. the act or fact of venting; emission or discharge.

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verb (used with object)

• vents,
  present (3rd person singular)
• vented,
  past participle,  past
• venting
  present participle

1. to give free play or expression to (an emotion, passion, etc.).

   to vent rage.

2. to give public utterance to.

   to vent one's opinions.

3. to relieve by giving expression to something.

   He vented his disappointment by criticizing his successor.

4. to release or discharge (liquid, smoke, etc.).

5. to furnish or provide with a vent or vents.

verb (used without object)

• vents,
  present (3rd person singular)
• vented,
  past participle,  past
• venting
  present participle

1. to be relieved of pressure or discharged by means of a vent.

2. (of an otter or other animal) to rise to the surface of the water to breathe.

vent ² American  

[vent] / vɛnt /

noun

1. a slit in the back or side of a coat, jacket, or other garment, at the bottom part of a seam.

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vent ¹ British  

/ vɛnt /

noun

1. a small opening for the passage or escape of fumes, liquids, etc

2. the shaft of a volcano or an aperture in the earth's crust through which lava and gases erupt

3. the external opening of the urinary or genital systems of lower vertebrates

4. a small aperture at the breech of old guns through which the charge was ignited

5. an exit, escape, or passage

6. to release (an emotion, passion, idea, etc) in an utterance or outburst

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verb

1. to release or give expression or utterance to (an emotion, idea, etc)

   he vents his anger on his wife

2. to provide a vent for or make vents in

3. to let out (steam, liquid, etc) through a vent

vent ² British  

/ vɛnt /

noun

1. a vertical slit at the back or both sides of a jacket

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verb

1. (tr) to make a vent or vents in (a jacket)

vent Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing vent

• give vent to

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• venter
  noun
• unvented
  adjective
• ventless
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• venting
  present
• vented
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• vent
  simple
• vents
  simple
• have vented
  perfect
• has vented
  perfect
• am venting
  progressive
• are venting
  progressive
• is venting
  progressive
• have been venting
  perfect progressive
• has been venting
  perfect progressive

Past

• vented
  simple
• had vented
  perfect
• was venting
  progressive
• were venting
  progressive
• had been venting
  perfect progressive

Future

• will vent
  simple
• will have vented
  perfect
• will be venting
  progressive
• will have been venting
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of vent¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English verb venten “to furnish (a vessel) with a vent,” by shortening of Old French esventer (equivalent to es- + -venter, verbal derivative of vent, from Latin ventus “wind”), in later use derivative of the English noun; the noun derives partly from French vent, partly by shortening of French évent ( Old French esvent, derivative of esventer ), and partly derivative of the English verb; see ex- ¹, wind ¹

Origin of vent²

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English vent(e); replacing Middle English fente, from Old French or Middle French, derivative of fendre “to slit,” from Latin findere “to split”

Explanation

When you vent, you let something out, whether it's hot air or your feelings. If you vent your feelings, you let out a strong and sometimes angry emotion and just say what you think. You might vent your rage when your brother once again gets out of doing his chores. You also might vent something to air it out. If it's too hot inside your car, vent it by opening a window. The noun vent refers to a hole that lets air escape. A clothes dryer has a vent that sends hot air outside. A vent in nature is a crack in the earth's surface that lets hot gas and lava escape — like a volcano.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

vent vents vented venting

Organizers say they occasionally draw people who are intoxicated, having a bad day, or simply looking for someone to vent at.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026

Some have taken to social media to share their tips, vent their frustrations and break down the costs of their outfits.

From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026

Even so, scientists still cannot say with certainty which volcanic feature is erupting, how deep the active vent originally was, or when it last erupted.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 10, 2026

“His impact was less ideological than attitudinal. He wasn’t convincing the voters to become more conservative, he was convincing them that it was OK for them to vent their anger in an unconventional way.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 11, 2026

Their best bet for doing that was to vent steam through the torus.

From "Meltdown" by Deirdre Langeland

The team found that phosphite, a form of phosphorus naturally found in hydrothermal vents, can react with organic compounds in the presence of palladium and produce reactions associated with metabolic phosphorylation.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 12, 2026

Ducting air con is the least noticeable option due to the vents and can cool multiple rooms.

From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2026

Detainees alleged they routinely wiped black mold off shower walls at the facility, saw black dust spew from air vents and used cleaning solutions that lacked instructions during the COVID-19 pandemic.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026

“Small issues like dirty filters, blocked vents or restricted airflow can become bigger problems when the system is running constantly,” Shavers said.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 29, 2026

Gas issued from small vents called fumaroles, but the plumes of ash and steam and gas had ended on May 14.

From "Mountain of Fire" by Rebecca E. F. Barone

Residents in the worst-affected areas have vented their frustrations by setting piles on trash on fire or banging on pots and pans.

From Barron's ● Aug. 3, 2026

Unwanted gas can be burned, releasing carbon dioxide, or even simply vented.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 9, 2026

“The administration needs to be more forthcoming when they send folks over here,” he vented to reporters.

From Slate ● Apr. 1, 2026

US President Donald Trump has repeatedly vented his frustration that allied nations were unwilling to help escort ships through the waterway.

From BBC ● Mar. 28, 2026

The gathering Woolf had felt in Seabiscuit vented itself in a massive downward push.

From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand

As his father reminds John during a venting session that occurs after Hal nonchalantly almost kills him, “They’re allowed to have tantrums. We’re not.”

From Salon ● Aug. 14, 2026

Mostly, these conversations, when not venting about the disruption to bus schedules and the noisiness of bomber jet flyovers, focus on the absolute failure of the fair.

From Slate ● Jul. 1, 2026

Considerably more steam needed venting in recent years.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026

"That's my way of venting about the errors we see in leadership," he says.

From BBC ● Mar. 25, 2026

One day when Idek was venting his fury, I happened to cross his path.

From "Night" by Elie Wiesel

Related Words

• chimney
• duct
• flue
• pipe
• ventilator