verb phrase🎓 English idiom
blow off steam
to release pent-up energy or anger
What it means
To release built-up energy, stress, or anger in a harmless way, often through activity, talking, or play. It is used when someone needs an outlet so that tension does not build up dangerously.
Words like “blow off steam” are exactly the kind of vocabulary our English vocabulary size test measures — find out how many English words you know.
Examples
- After a stressful week, I go for a run to blow off steam.
- Let the kids play outside for a while to blow off steam.
- He wasn't serious about quitting; he was just blowing off steam.
- We hit the gym together whenever we need to blow off some steam.
Where it comes from
The phrase comes from the age of steam engines, where excess pressure had to be vented through a valve to stop a boiler from exploding. It was applied figuratively to human emotion by the 19th century.
Related idioms
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