hellbent

[hel-bent]

See more synonyms for hellbent on Thesaurus.com

adjective

stubbornly or recklessly determined.
going at terrific speed.

adverb

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

Origin of hellbent

An Americanism dating back to 1825–35; hell + bent¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for hell-bent

Contemporary Examples

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
Brienne demands the deformed, less savage Clegane brother fork her over, but he refuses, hell-bent on receiving his bounty.
Game of Thrones’ Gwendoline Christie on Brienne of Tarth’s Epic S4 Finale Showdown with The Hound
Marlow Stern
June 16, 2014
Food stamps have already been cut, and congressional Republicans are hell-bent on cutting them further.
With the Ryan-Murray Deal, Washington Stops Hurting the Economy
Daniel Gross
December 11, 2013
They are also hell-bent on seeking retribution against members who turn their backs on the gang or snitch to the police.
What’s So Scary About the Texas Aryan Brotherhood? Take a Look at the Indictments
Christine Pelisek
April 3, 2013
For a candidate whose opponents on the right were hell-bent on hanging the RINO label on him, it was a problem.
Romney’s Flip-Flops on Gun Control Over the Years
Jesse Singal
July 25, 2012

Historical Examples

After that she was sure I was a lost soul and hell-bent for certain.
Old Man Curry
Charles E. (Charles Emmett) Van Loan
He's hell-bent on takin' Dinsmore to prison so as to make a big name for himself.
Oh, You Tex!
William Macleod Raine
Let a man be hell-bent or heaven-bent, somewhere in his track is a woman's feet.
Jeff Briggs's Love Story
Bret Harte
"I'll make it three, seein' ye're so hell-bent on a trade," he called.
The Promise
James B. Hendryx
But he was hard-mouthed, and stiff-necked and hell-bent on having his own way about things.
I Married a Ranger
Dama Margaret Smith

British Dictionary definitions for hell-bent

hellbent

adjective

(postpositive and foll by on) 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

Word Origin and History for hell-bent

hellbent

adj.

also hell-bent, 1835, U.S., originally slang, from hell + bent (1).

hellbent

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}hellbent

Examples from the Web for hell-bent

Contemporary Examples

No one is saying you wake up every morning hell-bent on killing unarmed black kids.

Brienne demands the deformed, less savage Clegane brother fork her over, but he refuses, hell-bent on receiving his bounty.

Food stamps have already been cut, and congressional Republicans are hell-bent on cutting them further.

They are also hell-bent on seeking retribution against members who turn their backs on the gang or snitch to the police.

For a candidate whose opponents on the right were hell-bent on hanging the RINO label on him, it was a problem.

Historical Examples

After that she was sure I was a lost soul and hell-bent for certain.

He's hell-bent on takin' Dinsmore to prison so as to make a big name for himself.

Let a man be hell-bent or heaven-bent, somewhere in his track is a woman's feet.

"I'll make it three, seein' ye're so hell-bent on a trade," he called.

But he was hard-mouthed, and stiff-necked and hell-bent on having his own way about things.

hellbent

Word Origin and History for hell-bent

hellbent

adj.

Origin of hellbent