The Verb Vent: Letting Out Strong Emotions

In English, the verb vent means to express a negative feeling in a forceful way. People usually vent when they are angry, upset, or frustrated, and sometimes they direct this emotion toward others, even if those people are not the real cause of the problem.

Common patterns with vent:

• vent + your frustration/anger/rage/spleen on someonePlease don’t shout—there’s no need to vent your frustration on me.(Don’t take out your anger on me.)

• vent (without object)I didn’t mean to upset anyone, I just needed to vent.(I just needed to express my feelings.)

More examples:

• She vented her anger on the customer service representative.

• He went for a run to vent his frustration.

• They met after work to vent about their stressful day.

• Don’t vent your rage on your friends—they’re only trying to help.

Key point: Vent usually refers to strong negative emotions. It can be healthy to let out feelings, but unfair if directed at the wrong person.