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Meaning & use

the vent

noun, verb·Everyday

Last updated

UK/ðə vent/
US/ðə vent/

Meanings

  1. nouncountable

    An opening that allows air, gas, or liquid to enter or leave a closed space.

    Grammar: Countable; use a/an or the, and plural vents. Often used with 'in' or 'on': a vent in the wall.

    Patterns

    • a vent in something
    • air vent
    • open/close a vent

    The air conditioning vent in the ceiling was blowing cold air.

    Make sure the vent on the dryer is not blocked.

    He opened the vent to let some fresh air into the room.

  2. nouncountable

    A slit at the bottom of a jacket or coat that allows movement.

    Grammar: Countable; often used in the singular with 'a' or 'the'.

    Patterns

    • a vent in a jacket
    • side vent
    • back vent

    The suit jacket has a single vent at the back.

    He liked the double vents on his new coat.

  3. verbtransitive or intransitiveinformal

    To express strong feelings, especially anger, in a forceful way.

    Grammar: Can be used with an object (vent your anger) or without (I need to vent). Often followed by 'about' or 'to'.

    Patterns

    • vent something
    • vent about something
    • vent to someone

    She vented her frustration to her best friend.

    He often vents about his boss on social media.

    I need to vent after that meeting.

Word forms

pluralvents
third person singularvents
past tensevented
past participlevented
-ing formventing

Common combinations

air vent
The air vent was covered with dust.
vent your anger
He vented his anger by shouting at the referee.
vent about something
She vented about the traffic for ten minutes.
vent to someone
You can vent to me anytime you need to talk.
heating vent
The heating vent in the floor was warm.

Synonyms and how they differ

opening
A general word for a hole or gap; vent is more specific to air or liquid passage.
outlet
A place where something can escape; vent often implies a controlled opening for air or gas.
express
In the verb sense, express is more neutral; vent implies a strong emotional release.

Word family

ventilation noun
The process of supplying fresh air to a space.
ventilate verb
To allow fresh air to enter and circulate.

Commonly confused: the vent or went?

the vent vs went

Went is the past tense of 'go', while vent is an opening or a verb meaning to express feelings.

Practice

Fill in the blank: 'She needed to ___ her frustration after the argument.'

Make it your own

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