Bent Definition & Meaning

American

British

Etymology

Examples

Synonyms 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.

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.

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

"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

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

"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 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

"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 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”

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.

When I bent down to pick up my hat, something on the ground beside it caught my eye.

From Literature

After a letter from Education Minister Jason Clare, the funding was suspended while Abdel-Fattah was investigated over allegations she had bent the grant's rules, though she was ultimately cleared last month.

From BBC

In his postgame news conference, Stafford said he did not know what happened until he saw video that showed his finger bent backward.

From Los Angeles Times

All of Meow Wolf’s exhibitions have a sci-fi bent, and Los Angeles will be no different, with many a nod to films of science fiction and fantasy.

From Los Angeles Times

I stood up to shake off the pain and tweaked my right Achilles tendon, so I headed for the medicine cabinet, bent over like an ape because of a stiff back.

From Los Angeles Times

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

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.