bent

[ bent ]

/ bɛnt /

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adjective

curved; crooked: a bent bow;a bent stick.

determined; set; resolved (usually followed by on): to be bent on buying a new car.

Chiefly British Slang.

morally crooked; corrupt.
stolen: bent merchandise.
unbalanced or crazy; irrational: Man, your take on things is so bent I can hardly follow it.

Chiefly British Slang: Disparaging and Offensive. gay (def. 1).

noun

direction taken, as by one's interests; inclination: a bent for painting.

capacity of endurance: to work at the top of one's bent.

Civil Engineering. a transverse frame, as of a bridge or an aqueduct, designed to support either vertical or horizontal loads.

Archaic. bent state or form; curvature.

verb

the simple past tense and past participle of bend¹.

OTHER WORDS FOR bent

1 bowed, hooked, rounded.

2 intent.

5 tendency, propensity, proclivity, predilection, penchant, leaning; partiality, bias.

See synonyms for bent on Thesaurus.com

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ALL IN FAVO(U)R OF THIS BRITISH VS. AMERICAN ENGLISH QUIZ

There's an ocean of difference between the way people speak English in the US vs. the UK. Are your language skills up to the task of telling the difference? Let's find out!

Question 1 of 7

True or false? British English and American English are only different when it comes to slang words.

true

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Idioms about bent

bent (out of shape), Informal. angry or upset: I like that you can share your thoughts on stuff and not get bent out of shape if I disagree.I don’t know why you’re so bent—I’m just a couple minutes late.Also bent up .

Origin of bent

First recorded in 1350–1400 for the adjective and past tense; past participle of bend¹

Words nearby bent

benomyl, Benoni, Bensenville, Benson, bensulide, bent, bent grass, Bentham, Benthamism, benthic, benthon

Other definitions for bent (2 of 2)

bent²

[ bent ]

/ bɛnt /

noun

bent grass.

a stalk of bent grass.

Scot., North England. (formerly) any stiff grass or sedge.

British Dialect. a moor; heath; tract of uncultivated, grassy land, used as a pasture or hunting preserve.

Origin of bent

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English; earlier benet-, bunet- (in compounds), Old English beonet-, beonot- (in placenames); cognate with Old High German binuz (compare German Binse ) “the rush plant”

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use bent in a sentence

There is no reason to really be bent out of shape or get worried or frustrated with anything.
For first time in three weeks, Capitals could be at full strength Sunday|Samantha Pell|February 11, 2021|Washington Post
Inside each pack is a metal disk that needs to be snapped or bent to release a heat-generating compound.
Best hand warmers: Block the chill during your favorite winter activities|PopSci Commerce Team|February 10, 2021|Popular-Science
As the value of the crates has risen, so too has a new class of criminals hell-bent on stealing honeybees.
Bee theft is almost a perfect crime—but there’s a new sheriff in town|Andrew Zaleski|February 9, 2021|Popular-Science
The daughter of a mobster, Ji-U is bent on seeking revenge after her father’s death and poses as a police officer to find the parties responsible.
The 15 Most Anticipated Korean Dramas of 2021|Kat Moon|January 29, 2021|Time

I don’t want to go so far as to say that there’s like a fascist or authoritarian bent here.
‘Revenge Tactic:’ GameStop's Massive Stock Surge Isn't Only About Making Money|Peter Allen Clark|January 28, 2021|Time
Those with a slightly sleazier bent have dredged up reports of his weight gain, substance abuse, and arrest.
D’Angelo’s ‘Black Messiah’ Was Worth Waiting 15 Years For|James Joiner|December 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
One detainee was bent over for a rectal feeding that involved Ensure, the protein shake.
Inside the CIA’s Sadistic Dungeon|Tim Mak|December 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But Flagg, too, comes apart in his machinations, bent ever more fully on political domination.
McConaughey’s ‘Stand’—And Ours|James Poulos|December 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Eric Garner was bent over, wrestled down, spread out, and squeezed until he popped.
The Day I Used Eric Garner’s Voice|Joshua DuBois|December 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
No one is saying you wake up every morning hell-bent on killing unarmed black kids.
The St. Louis Rams Enter the Ferguson Fray|Sally Kohn|December 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He frowned, and bent his head, and his long hair fell over his face, while the poor Stuttgardter sat there like a beaten hound.
Music-Study in Germany|Amy Fay
This judicial bent of the child is a curious one and often develops a priggish fondness for setting others morally straight.
Children's Ways|James Sully
Lady Maude advanced; she had really come in by accident; her head was bent, her eyelashes rested on her flushed cheeks.
Elster's Folly|Mrs. Henry Wood
Then she bent her glance to the writing, and studied it a moment, what time the man from Paris watched her closely.
St. Martin's Summer|Rafael Sabatini
She opened a large black fan and moved it slowly while looking intently at her son's bent profile.
Ancestors|Gertrude Atherton

British Dictionary definitions for bent (1 of 2)

bent¹

/ (bɛnt) /

adjective

not straight; curved

(foll by on) fixed (on a course of action); resolved (to); determined (to)

slang

dishonest; corrupt
(of goods) stolen
crazy; mad
British offensive homosexual

noun

personal inclination, propensity, or aptitude

capacity of endurance (esp in the phrase to the top of one's bent)

civil engineering a framework placed across a structure to stiffen it

British Dictionary definitions for bent (2 of 2)

bent²

/ (bɛnt) /

noun

short for bent grass

a stalk of bent grass

archaic any stiff grass or sedge

Scot and Northern English dialect heath or moorland

Word Origin for bent

Old English bionot; related to Old Saxon binet, Old High German binuz rush

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

bent

OTHER WORDS FOR bent

Idioms about bent

Origin of bent

Words nearby bent

Other definitions for bent (2 of 2)

Origin of bent

Words related to bent

How to use bent in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for bent (1 of 2)

British Dictionary definitions for bent (2 of 2)

Word Origin for bent