ventilate
/ˈventɪleɪt/ (bre, ipa) · [vˈɛntəlˌet] /ˈventɪleɪt/ (ame, ipa) · [vˈɛntəlˌet] /ˈven-tə-ˌlāt How to pronounce ventilate (audio)/ (ame, mw)
ventilate — verb
- ventilatepresent simple I / you / we / they
- ventilateshe / she / it
- ventilatedpast simple
- ventilating-ing form
1. to let fresh air move through an indoor space like a room, building, or vehicle,
to let fresh air move through an indoor space like a room, building, or vehicle, usually by opening windows, doors, or using fans, so the air does not become stale or unhealthy.
Oliver opened all the windows to ventilate the bedroom after the paint fumes filled the room.
pattern: opened [windows/doors] to ventilate + [space]
The gymnasium uses large ceiling fans to keep the air moving and ventilate the space during basketball games.
Mei-Lin always ventilates her kitchen by opening the back door whenever she fries fish for dinner.
Hospital treatment rooms must be ventilated every few hours to keep the air clean for patients and staff.
Firefighters cut a hole in the roof to ventilate the burning warehouse and let the smoke escape.
- seal
to close tightly so that no air can pass in or out
文法句型
ventilate + [room/building/space]
用法筆記
This is the core everyday sense. The direct object is normally an enclosed space — a room, building, tent, or vehicle. The related noun 'ventilation' is more common in technical writing about building design or air-quality standards.
常見錯誤
2. to help a patient breathe by using a medical device that pushes air into the lun
to help a patient breathe by using a medical device that pushes air into the lungs and pulls it out again, when the person cannot take strong enough breaths alone — for example after a serious injury, during an operation, or because of a lung infection.
The trauma team decided to ventilate the accident victim when his oxygen levels dropped below a safe point.
pattern: ventilate + [patient] + when [condition]
Paramedics ventilated Fatima with a bag-valve mask on the way to the hospital after her asthma attack.
collocation: ventilate with [device]
A neonatal unit can ventilate eight premature babies at once using special machines for tiny lungs.
Nurses checked the settings every thirty minutes while the ventilator ventilated the elderly man after his heart surgery.
- put on a ventilator
more common in news reports and everyday speech
- intubate and ventilate
the full clinical procedure; intubation is placing the breathing tube
- extubate
to remove the breathing tube so the patient breathes without help
文法句型
ventilate + [patient]
用法筆記
Restricted to hospital and emergency-medicine contexts. In everyday conversation, people more often say 'put (someone) on a ventilator' or 'on life support'. The adjective 'ventilated' (as in 'a ventilated patient') is also used in medical reports to describe someone receiving this treatment.
常見錯誤
3. to express a strong feeling, opinion, or complaint publicly so that others can h
to express a strong feeling, opinion, or complaint publicly so that others can hear it and discuss it — like opening a window to let out stale air from your mind.
Rosa used the team meeting to ventilate her frustrations about the unfair distribution of workload.
pattern: ventilate + [emotion] + about [topic]
Local residents ventilated their concerns about the planned factory at the city council hearing last Tuesday.
collocation: ventilate concerns / opinions
The online forum gives young writers a space to ventilate their views on education and social justice.
Union representatives ventilated the workers' complaints during the meeting with the company directors.
Amir ventilated his anger about the cancelled bus route at the public transport authority's open forum.
- suppress
to hold back a feeling or opinion instead of letting it out
文法句型
ventilate + [opinion/feeling/complaint]
用法筆記
This is a figurative extension of the 'air circulation' meaning — you are 'airing out' your thoughts. It is noticeably more formal than everyday alternatives. Use 'air', 'voice', or 'vent' in casual conversation instead.