bent

¹ American  

[bent] / bɛnt /

adjective

1. curved; crooked: a bent stick.

   a bent bow;

   a bent stick.

   Synonyms:

   rounded, hooked

2. determined; set; resolved (usually followed byon ).

   to be bent on buying a new car.

   Synonyms:

   intent

3. Chiefly British Slang.

   1. morally crooked; corrupt.

   2. stolen.

      bent merchandise.

   3. unbalanced or crazy; irrational.

      Man, your take on things is so bent I can hardly follow it.

4. Chiefly British Slang: Disparaging and Offensive. gay.

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noun

1. direction taken, as by one's interests; inclination.

   a bent for painting.

   Synonyms:

   bias, partiality, leaning, penchant, predilection, proclivity, propensity, tendency

2. capacity of endurance.

   to work at the top of one's bent.

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

4. Archaic. bent state or form; curvature.

verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of bend.

idioms

1. bent (out of shape), angry or upset: Also bent up

   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.

bent ² American  

[bent] / bɛnt /

noun

1. bent grass.

2. a stalk of bent grass.

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

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

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bent ¹ British  

/ bɛnt /

adjective

1. not straight; curved

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

3. slang

   1. dishonest; corrupt

   2. (of goods) stolen

   3. crazy; mad

   4. offensive homosexual

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noun

1. personal inclination, propensity, or aptitude

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

3. civil engineering a framework placed across a structure to stiffen it

bent ² British  

/ bɛnt /

noun

1. short for bent grass

2. a stalk of bent grass

3. archaic any stiff grass or sedge

4. dialect heath or moorland

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Etymology

Origin of bent¹

First recorded in 1350–1400 for the adjective and past tense; past participle of bend ¹

Origin of bent²

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”

Explanation

If you have a knack or aptitude for doing something, you can say you have a bent for it. Perhaps you have a bent for woodworking, creating fabulous desserts, or writing poetry, you are good at it. The noun bent can also refer to a strong inclination to react to something in a specific manner. If you have a strong scientific bent, you won't be inclined to believe reports of alien spaceship landings and Loch Ness Monster sightings. As an adjective, bent describes someone very determined, and in this case, the word is usually followed by "on." You may be bent on the kids going to bed early, but they may have other ideas: party in the living room!

Example Sentences

The “figures” here—square steel tubes that have been bent into ruffles and impossible-seeming joints—lean against supports, trying to catch their breath.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026

Rigidity describes how strongly a particle's path resists being bent by magnetic fields.

From Science Daily • May 14, 2026

The Washington Post’s editorial leadership bent under pressure.

From Salon • May 13, 2026

But Standard Oil finally went under the knife in 1911, split into 34 separate companies that sometimes seem like they are bent on reunifying.

From Barron's • May 2, 2026

He’d bent toward Clare when he was gardening nearby.

From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman