Past tense of vent, meaning to express emotions forcefully or to allow air or gas to escape through an opening.
From Latin ventus meaning wind or air. The word evolved from the physical sense of allowing air to flow to the metaphorical sense of expressing pent-up feelings.
The connection between physical ventilation and emotional expression reflects how humans have always understood feelings as something that builds pressure and needs release, just like steam from a kettle.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.