hyperventilate

verb

hy·​per·​ven·​ti·​late ˌhī-pər-ˈven-tə-ˌlāt How to pronounce hyperventilate (audio)
hyperventilated; hyperventilating; hyperventilates

intransitive verb

: to breathe rapidly and deeply : undergo hyperventilation

Did you know?

Hyperventilating can be a response to fear and anxiety. A test pilot who panics and hyperventilates faces a dangerous situation. When the level of carbon dioxide in your blood goes down and the oxygen level goes up, blood vessels constrict because of the chemical changes and the body can't get enough oxygen (even though it's there in the blood), and the pilot can become lightheaded and may even faint. To guard against this, pilots are taught to control their breathing. On the ground, the usual remedy for hyperventilation is breathing into a paper bag, which raises the level of carbon dioxide and restores normal breathing.

Examples of hyperventilate in a Sentence

The boy panicked and began hyperventilating. he was so nervous he began hyperventilating, and the extra oxygen made him dizzy
Recent Examples on the Web Wall Street has been hyperventilating over Nvidia and OpenAI’s ChatGPT. Howard Yu, Forbes, 15 Oct. 2024 But as the huge company hyperventilates over the landmark decision and the possibility of a Ma Bell-type breakup, many of the marketers that feed the tech titan’s online advertising coffers are maintaining a relative calm. Adriana Lee, WWD, 3 Sep. 2019 The first was Tom Weeks, the owner of the hyperventilating dog. By Andrew R Chow/granbury, Texas, TIME, 8 July 2024 Directly next door, Tom Weeks’ dog Jack Rabbit Slim started shaking and hyperventilating uncontrollably for hours on end; a vet placed him on the seizure medication Gabapentin. By Andrew R Chow/granbury, Texas, TIME, 8 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for hyperventilate 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hyperventilate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1931, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hyperventilate was in 1931

Dictionary Entries Near hyperventilate

Cite this Entry

“Hyperventilate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hyperventilate. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Medical Definition

hyperventilate

verb
hy·​per·​ven·​ti·​late -ˈvent-ᵊl-ˌāt How to pronounce hyperventilate (audio)
hyperventilated; hyperventilating

intransitive verb

: to breathe rapidly and deeply : undergo hyperventilation
some swimmers hyperventilate

transitive verb

: to subject to hyperventilation
he hyperventilated his lungs by deep breathing
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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