Transpire is a fancy way of saying "happen." "What's transpiring?" — however — just doesn't have the same ring as "What's happening?"
Originally used to express when information became known or came to light, many purists will tell you that's really the best way to use transpire. It can also mean releasing vapor into the air, like when a plant transpires water through its leaves on a hot day. Note: you'll usually encounter this word in its past tense: for example, "We had to watch the replay to figure out what had transpired."
1 |
v |
come about, happen, or occur
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2 |
v |
pass through the tissue or substance or its pores or interstices, as of gas
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