vented; venting; vents
1
: to provide with a vent
2
3
: to relieve by means of a vent
vented himself in a fiery letter to the editor
: to relieve oneself by venting something (such as anger)
comes home from work and vents to the kids
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
b(1)
(2)
c
: an opening at the breech of a muzzle-loading gun through which fire is touched to the powder
2
: an opportunity or means of escape, passage, or release : outlet
finally gave vent to his pent-up hostility
: a slit in a garment
specifically
: an opening in the lower part of a seam (as of a jacket or skirt)
Synonyms
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
Lauren Hirsch, New York Times, 18 Apr. 2024
Lee told officers he was frustrated with his home life and decided to vent to his friends.
—The Arizona Republic, 16 Apr. 2024
Deadheads are venting their anger about the last-minute cancelation with no refunds, calling the Skull & Roses festival in Ventura, California, the new Fyre Fest.
—Amaris Encinas, USA TODAY, 12 Apr. 2024
Former employees at the once-viral athleisure brand Outdoor Voices vented their frustration about chair Ashley Merrill to Fortune after the company abruptly laid off 80% of its corporate employees and closed down all of its retail stores in early March.
—Alicia Adamczyk, Fortune, 27 Mar. 2024
The monthly meetings hosted by Sacramento Act offer an opportunity for parents to vent, provide advice to each other and, ultimately, empower themselves to become leaders in education.
—Mathew Miranda, Sacramento Bee, 18 Apr. 2024
The Brittany farmers had plenty to vent about when Marie-Pierre Vedrenne, a French member of the European Parliament from President Emmanuel Macron’s political family, stopped by the sheep farm on a Monday morning in March to share a simple meal at a long barn table and listen to complaints.
—Emily Rauhala, Washington Post, 11 Apr. 2024
Customers expressed their condolences to anyone with a name tag and vented to anyone who would listen.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2024
In one of the most striking scenes, a group of girls vents about how they’re expected to be amiable and agreeable all the time, even in debate.
—Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 3 Apr. 2024
Stephen Hobbs, Sacramento Bee, 1 Apr. 2024
Make sure your drapes or shades are not blocking vents, as that can restrict air circulation.
—Joseph Hernandez, Kansas City Star, 1 Apr. 2024
The line of eruptive vents along the fissure at Sundhnúksgíga that formed starting March 16, 2024.
—Erik Klemetti, Discover Magazine, 27 Mar. 2024
Some systems might include multiple vents containing a filter, so be sure to wash them all.
—Jessica Bennett, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Mar. 2024
During the storm, be sure all exhaust vents around your home are clear from debris and snow.
—Nicholas Merianos, CBS News, 1 Mar. 2024
The head of the National Transportation Safety Board said recently that her agency’s investigation showed that the vent and burn of the vinyl chloride was unnecessary because the company that produced that chemical was sure no dangerous chemical reaction was happening inside the tank cars.
—Josh Funk, Fortune, 3 Apr. 2024
The generously sized vents in the armpits keeps things breathable and comfortable.
—Olivia Avitt, Peoplemag, 1 Apr. 2024
The simple construction usually includes a lid, grilling grate, air vents, and ash compartment.
—Carrie Honaker, Southern Living, 1 Apr. 2024
Verb
In 2011, Tim Gong, an SIG China managing director, vented about Mr. Zhang amid an apparent dispute over shares.
—Lauren Hirsch, New York Times, 18 Apr. 2024
Lee told officers he was frustrated with his home life and decided to vent to his friends.
—The Arizona Republic, 16 Apr. 2024
Deadheads are venting their anger about the last-minute cancelation with no refunds, calling the Skull & Roses festival in Ventura, California, the new Fyre Fest.
—Amaris Encinas, USA TODAY, 12 Apr. 2024
Former employees at the once-viral athleisure brand Outdoor Voices vented their frustration about chair Ashley Merrill to Fortune after the company abruptly laid off 80% of its corporate employees and closed down all of its retail stores in early March.
—Alicia Adamczyk, Fortune, 27 Mar. 2024
The monthly meetings hosted by Sacramento Act offer an opportunity for parents to vent, provide advice to each other and, ultimately, empower themselves to become leaders in education.
—Mathew Miranda, Sacramento Bee, 18 Apr. 2024
The Brittany farmers had plenty to vent about when Marie-Pierre Vedrenne, a French member of the European Parliament from President Emmanuel Macron’s political family, stopped by the sheep farm on a Monday morning in March to share a simple meal at a long barn table and listen to complaints.
—Emily Rauhala, Washington Post, 11 Apr. 2024
Customers expressed their condolences to anyone with a name tag and vented to anyone who would listen.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2024
In one of the most striking scenes, a group of girls vents about how they’re expected to be amiable and agreeable all the time, even in debate.
—Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 3 Apr. 2024
Noun
Homeowners who clean up flammable debris and vegetation from around their properties and have certain types of roofs, vents and windows on their homes, are supposed to be eligible for discounts.
—Stephen Hobbs, Sacramento Bee, 1 Apr. 2024
Make sure your drapes or shades are not blocking vents, as that can restrict air circulation.
—Joseph Hernandez, Kansas City Star, 1 Apr. 2024
The line of eruptive vents along the fissure at Sundhnúksgíga that formed starting March 16, 2024.
—Erik Klemetti, Discover Magazine, 27 Mar. 2024
Some systems might include multiple vents containing a filter, so be sure to wash them all.
—Jessica Bennett, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Mar. 2024
During the storm, be sure all exhaust vents around your home are clear from debris and snow.
—Nicholas Merianos, CBS News, 1 Mar. 2024
The head of the National Transportation Safety Board said recently that her agency’s investigation showed that the vent and burn of the vinyl chloride was unnecessary because the company that produced that chemical was sure no dangerous chemical reaction was happening inside the tank cars.
—Josh Funk, Fortune, 3 Apr. 2024
The generously sized vents in the armpits keeps things breathable and comfortable.
—Olivia Avitt, Peoplemag, 1 Apr. 2024
The simple construction usually includes a lid, grilling grate, air vents, and ash compartment.
—Carrie Honaker, Southern Living, 1 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'vent.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near vent
Cite this Entry
“Vent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vent. Accessed 3 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
vent
1 of 3 verb1
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 noun1
: 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)
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