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.

“We all thought that when the strikes ended, there would be all this pent-up demand for Hollywood production,” said John Kim, an analyst with BMO Capital Markets.

From The Wall Street Journal

Home Depot said it expects those metrics to grow at a faster clip if the housing market gains momentum and there is increased spend on larger projects, driven by pent-up demand.

From The Wall Street Journal

“Our Market Recovery Case reflects our performance expectations once we see momentum in housing activity and increased spend on larger projects driven by pent-up demand,” Chief Financial Officer Richard McPhail said.

From Barron's

Still, there appears to be pent-up demand for IPOs going into 2026, with several big companies already prepared to list their stocks or rumored to be getting ready to file for IPOs.

From Barron's

But 43% say they expect to increase investment after it, a sign of possible pent-up optimism.

From BBC