transpire
Americanverb (used without object)
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to occur; happen; take place.
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to emit or give off waste matter, watery vapor, etc., through the surface, as of the body or of leaves.
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to escape, as moisture or odor, through or as if through pores.
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to be revealed or become known.
verb (used with object)
verb
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(intr) to come to light; be known
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informal (intr) to happen or occur
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physiol to give off or exhale (water or vapour) through the skin, a mucous membrane, etc
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(of plants) to lose (water in the form of water vapour), esp through the stomata of the leaves
Usage
It is often maintained that transpire should not be used to mean happen or occur, as in the event transpired late in the evening , and that the word is properly used to mean become known, as in it transpired later that the thief had been caught . The word is, however, widely used in the former sense, esp in spoken English
Other Word Forms
- transpirable adjective
- transpiration noun
- transpiratory adjective
- untranspiring adjective
Etymology
Origin of transpire
First recorded in 1590–1600; from Middle French transpirer, from Medieval Latin trānspīrāre, equivalent to Latin trāns- trans- + spīrāre “to breathe”
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
While major chip makers have some helium supply in reserve, there’s some uncertainty about what would transpire if the conflict were to drag on and disrupt helium production over a longer span.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 13, 2026
Venezuelan journalist Ronna Rísquez Sánchez said it is unclear whether Maduro actually directs illicit activities conducted by his military or simply allows it to transpire among his government.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 25, 2025
An ordinary illustrator might have dramatized the scene at ground level; St. John literally elevates his image by having the conflict transpire in midair.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 21, 2025
How that will transpire is unclear, but it yet again raises the prospect of disagreement, vetoes and stand-off.
From BBC • Oct. 28, 2025
“We? We humans kill the Overlanders? I know of your world, of the evils that transpire there. But we do not kill for sport!” said Vikus severely.
From "Gregor the Overlander" by Suzanne Collins
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
