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hellbent

American

[hel-bent] / ˈhɛlˌbɛnt /

adjective

stubbornly or recklessly determined.
going at terrific speed.

adverb

in a hellbent manner; with reckless determination; at full speed.

hellbent British

/ ˌhɛlˈbɛnt /

adjective

informal strongly or rashly intent

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of hellbent

An Americanism dating back to 1825–35; hell + bent ¹

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.

Each delivers their justifications straight to the camera in harsh ultra-close-ups, hellbent on convincing the audience to agree with them.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 9, 2025

Project manager Peter Jones said the company was "hellbent" on delivering the promise of greener steelmaking in south Wales.

From BBC • Sep. 29, 2025

Asha explains what happens when people who are hellbent on using the law to break the law achieve positions of power, and whether the safeguards still in place can hold.

From Slate • Mar. 1, 2025

The new episodes find the main character "hellbent on seeking revenge on the super-rich puppet-masters who engineered its deadly spectacle", according to the Guardian's Rebecca Nicholson, who awarded three stars.

From BBC • Dec. 27, 2024

His words wrestled their way hellbent through his shyness.

From "Travels with Charley in Search of America" by John Steinbeck

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023