hyperventilate
verb
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
David Fear, Rolling Stone, 11 Oct. 2025
As her tribe hugged her in victory, Erickson was crying and hyperventilating while former tribemate Joe Hunter was shown looking on in concern.
—Steve Helling, PEOPLE, 24 Sep. 2025
The hyperactive plotting runs on hyperventilating prose.
—Book Marks
september 11, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2025
Some may also hyperventilate, which can lead to fainting as well.
—Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN Money, 26 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hyperventilate
Cite this Entry
“Hyperventilate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hyperventilate. Accessed 3 Nov. 2025.
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hyperventilate
verb
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