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”

Example Sentences

“A tool in service of someone with a genuine vision that bends the tool to their will, rather than having themselves bent to the tool — that’s what creativity is about,” Fairey said.

From Los Angeles Times

Its hind wheel is bent in half, like a folded pizza.

From Literature

I plant my feet far apart, knees bent, and stand like a ninja trying to hold my balance between the three cans of paint we just bought and Dad’s Rubbermaid tub of painting supplies.

From Literature

But apparently, the Afterlife was bent on breaking all the rules tonight.

From Literature

He bent down, picked up a straw wrapper and disposed of it in the nearest trash can, then kept walking.

From Los Angeles Times