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bent

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bent¹

  • /bɛnt/ UK, US

Rhymes with -ɛnt

Where it comes from

From Middle English bent-, preterite stem (as in bente, benten, etc.), and Middle English bent, ibent, ybent, past participle forms of Middle English benden (“to bend”). Equivalent to bend + -t.

verb

  1. participle, past simple past and past participle of bend

adjective benter · more bent · bentest · most bent

  1. Folded or dented out of its usual shape.

    Similar: crooked

  2. UK, colloquial Corrupt, dishonest. To say LAPD has a history of protecting bent cops and punishing honest ones is an insult to the annual drumbeat of new scandals.

    Similar: crooked

  3. UK, colloquial, derogatory Homosexual. Asked bluntly by Julie Webb of the NME whether he was “bent” in December 1974, Freddie answered evasively: “You're a crafty cow. […]”

    Similar: queer, homophile, homosexual, like that, similisexual, that way

  4. with on Determined or insistent; inclined, set. He was bent on going to Texas, but not even he could say why.

    Similar: hell-bent

  5. with about Annoyed; out of sorts; having a bee in one's bonnet. Near-synonym: butthurt

    Similar: butthurt

  6. leading a life of crime.
  7. slang Inaccurately aimed. That shot was so bent it left the pitch.
  8. US, colloquial Suffering from the bends.
  9. slang High from both marijuana and alcohol. Man, I am so bent right now!

noun bents

  1. An inclination or talent. He had a natural bent for painting.

    Similar: disposition

  2. A predisposition to act or react in a particular way. His mind was of a technical bent.
  3. The state of being curved, crooked, or inclined from a straight line; flexure; curvity. the bent of a bow
  4. A declivity or slope, as of a hill. Beneath the lowering brow, and on a bent, / The temple stood of Mars armipotent
  5. Particular direction or tendency; flexion; course. bents and turns of the matter
  6. Such a subunit as a component of a barn's framing, joined to other bents by girts and summer beams.
  7. Such a subunit as a reinforcement to, or integral part of, a bridge's framing.
  8. Tension; force of acting; energy; impetus. the full bent and stress of the soul

Similar: predilection, proclivity, propensity

bent²

  • /bɛnt/ UK, US

Rhymes with -ɛnt

Where it comes from

From Middle English bent, benet, from Old English *beonot (attested only in place-names and personal names), from Proto-West Germanic *binut (“reed, rush”), of uncertain origin.

noun bents

  1. countable, uncountable Any of various stiff or reedy grasses. His spear a bent, both stiff and strong.
  2. countable, uncountable Bentgrass (Agrostis spp.).
  3. countable, uncountable A grassy area, grassland. c. 1500, The Ballad of Chevy Chase Bowmen bickered upon the bent.
  4. countable, uncountable Old dried stalks of grasses.

Bent³

proper noun Bents

  1. A surname

Thesaurus

Closest in meaning: crooked, bended, inclined, hang, crumpled, set, damaged, bent on, knack, resolute, dead set, bowed, unerect, bentgrass, bent grass, dented

noun

Similar: predilection, proclivity, propensity

Translations

Every language

adj folded

Españoldoblado
한국어굽은 gubeun
Portuguêstorto
Françaiscourbé
Deutschgebeugt, verbogen
Italianopiegato, ripiegato
Românăgârbov, îndoit
Русскийсо́гнутый sógnutyj, изо́гнутый izógnutyj, гну́тый gnútyj, криво́й krivój, искривлённый iskrivljónnyj
Tiếng Việtméo, cong

adj Homosexual

中文彎 /弯 wān, 同性恋的
Deutschgay, homosexuell
Русскийпидорский pidorskij, гомосяцкий gomosjackij
Tiếng Việtcong

adj Determined or insistent

Deutschentschieden
Italianofissato
Русскийповёрнутый povjórnutyj

noun inclination or talent

Españolinclinación
Italianotalento

noun predisposition

Españolpredisposición
Italianoestro, ispirazione

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Cite this
MLA

"bent." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/bent. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

bent. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/bent

Chicago

"bent." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/bent.

BibTeX
@misc{bent_2026,
  title = {bent},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/bent},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}