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.

See Examples For:

hellbent

A few old-school hotels are hellbent on keeping the circus going.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

Everyone was hellbent on maxing out on the macro.

From Salon ● May 7, 2026

He underwent surgery Monday to stabilize the break and, barring any setbacks, was hellbent on playing in Monday night’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 4, 2025

The farmer said he was "hellbent" on keeping the horses there as it was a "family tradition".

From BBC ● Oct. 28, 2025

Will wanted nothing so much as to ride hellbent for the safety of the Wall, but that was not a feeling to share with your commander.

From "A Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin

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