bent

¹

[ bent ]

adjective

1. curved; crooked: a bent stick.

   a bent bow;

   a bent stick.

   Synonyms: rounded, hooked

2. determined; set; resolved (usually followed by on ):

   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 ( def 1 ).

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 ¹.

bent

²

[ bent ]

noun

1. bent grass ( def ).
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

/ 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

bent

²

/ 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. homosexual

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

Word History and Origins

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”

Word History and Origins

Origin of bent¹

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

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. bent (out of shape), Informal. 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.

Example Sentences

The preseason game in 2021 when two Washington defenders sandwiched him on a tackle and bent his knee and tore two ligaments.

From Los Angeles Times

When a robber bent down to grab stolen money, his hoodie rode up to reveal a star tattoo on his lower back — a marking that became a major focus during a trial this month.

From Los Angeles Times

But as he bent down to stuff bills from a haul of more than $166,000 into bags, his hoodie rode up — exposing a star tattoo on his lower back.

From Los Angeles Times

But another forceful leader was also bent on reshaping the school for very different reasons, and perhaps with much more profound results.

From New York Times

He also put more than four dozen judges on the federal appeals courts, flipping several circuits to a more conservative bent.

From BBC