pent-up

American  

[pent-uhp] / ˈpɛntˈʌp /

adjective

1. not vented or expressed; held inside; restrained; curbed.

   pent-up emotions;

   pent-up rage.

   Synonyms:

   suppressed, repressed, confined

---

pent-up British  

adjective

1. not released; repressed

   pent-up emotions

2. kept unwillingly

   I've been pent up in this office for over a year

---

Usage

What does pent-up mean? Pent-up is used to describe something that is repressed or not expressed, such as feelings, as in Tina had a lot of pent-up anger over her parents’ divorce that she did not know how to express.Pent-up also describes something that has not been vented, like a gas, which causes pressure to build, as in Tremors release pent-up energy beneath the earth’s crust.Example: All this pent-up anger is bad for your mental health.

Etymology

Origin of pent-up

First recorded in 1705–15; adjective use of verb phrase pent up

Example Sentences

Higher inflation in Germany would hit consumer spending, the institutes said, weighing on an already weak economy that has barely grown since a burst of pent-up demand after the Covid pandemic in 2022.

From Barron's • Apr. 1, 2026

In early 2026, “I really felt like with rates going down, there was so much pent-up demand and pent-up supply coming on the market,” he said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026

But the country's teeth were in an appalling state after World War Two and pent-up demand was much greater than politicians anticipated.

From BBC • Mar. 24, 2026

Their solution to kids with pent-up energy wasn’t to head to any park — it was to come to a mall park.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 3, 2026

Maybe it was pent-up frustration, or could it be that not all Freedom Writers are carrying their workload?

From "The Freedom Writers Diary" by The Freedom Writers

Related Words

• repressed
• stifled
• suppressed