pent-up

[pent-uhp] / ˈpɛntˈʌp /

ADJECTIVE

held within

Synonyms

STRONGEST

repressed stifled suppressed

WEAK

bottled-up bridled checked constrained curbed held in check held-back inhibited restrained restricted smothered

Antonyms

WEAK

public released

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.

And amid all the sturm und drang, each character projects onto the other a pent-up spleen of parent-child neuroses and unmet expectations.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 28, 2026

Douglas says there is something about the "repetitive beat" and everyone "gathering to release some pent-up energy" which feels like a way to connect to our ancestral roots.

From BBC • May 22, 2026

“It kind of siphoned all of that pent-up, closeted stuff that you hold back, that you couldn’t freely express,” she said.

From Slate • May 4, 2026

There, Sam unleashes reams upon reams of pent-up monologuing about their past while a teary Mary fills in a few gaps.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2026

But sometimes it broke out in other ways, this danger, these pent-up things, as from an overheated boiler.

From "All Quiet on the Western Front: A Novel" by Erich Maria Remarque