Definition of 'bent'
3. adjective
4. adjective
[disapproval]
5. singular noun
6. singular noun [adjective NOUN]
7. adjective
If you say that someone in a position of responsibility is bent, you mean that they are dishonest or do illegal things.
[British, informal] 9.
See bent double
Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
British English pronunciation
American English pronunciation
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Word Frequency
bent in British English 1
adjective
noun
4.
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Word Frequency
bent in British English 2
noun
1. short for bentgrass
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Word origin
Old English bionot; related to Old Saxon binet, Old High German binuz rush
Word Frequency
bent in American English 1
verb transitive, verb intransitive
adjective
2.
made curved or crooked; not straight
noun
8.
a framework transverse to the length of a structure, for supporting lateral as well as vertical loads
SIMILAR WORDS: ˌincliˈnation
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
Word Frequency
bent in American English 2
noun
1.
any of a genus (Agrostis) of dense, low-growing perennial grasses that spread by putting out runners and are often used for lawns and golf greens
: also called ˈbentˌgrass2.
the stiff flower stalk of certain grasses
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
Word origin
ME < OE beonot, bent, a rush < WGmc *binut > Ger binseWord Frequency
bent in American English 1
(bent)
adjective
1.
curved; crooked
a bent bow
a bent stick
2. (usually fol. by on)
determined; set; resolved
to be bent on buying a new car
3. chiefly Brit informal
a.
morally crooked; corrupt
b.
stolen
bent merchandise
c. offensive
homosexual
noun
SYNONYMS 1. bowed, flexed. 2. fixed. 4. tendency, propensity, proclivity, predilection, penchant, partiality, leaning, bias.5.
capacity of endurance
to work at the top of one's bent
6. Civil Engineering
a transverse frame, as of a bridge or an aqueduct, designed to support either vertical or horizontal loads
Most material © 2005, 1997, 1991 by Penguin Random House LLC. Modified entries © 2019
by Penguin Random House LLC and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Word origin
[1525–35; orig. ptp. of bend1]Word Frequency
bent in American English 2
(bent)
noun
1. See bent grass
2.
a stalk of bent grass
3. Scot & Northern English (formerly)
any stiff grass or sedge
Most material © 2005, 1997, 1991 by Penguin Random House LLC. Modified entries © 2019
by Penguin Random House LLC and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Word origin
[1300–50; ME; earlier benet-, bunet- (in compounds), OE beonet-, beonot- (in place names); c. OHG binuz (cf. G Binse) rush]Synonyms of 'bent'
Examples of 'bent' in a sentence
bent
Example sentences from Collins dictionaries
These examples have been automatically selected and may contain sensitive content that does not reflect the opinions or policies of Collins, or its parent company HarperCollins.
We welcome feedback: report an example sentence to the Collins team. Read more…
He bent at the waist to show how limber his long back was.
The canyon bent sharply to the north.
He found a bent nail on the ground.
to be bent double with pain
She bent over the table, frowning.
to be bent double
The trees were all bent and twisted from the wind.
I bent down to tie my shoelaces.
a bent accountant
She bent down and picked up the toy.
Trends of
bent
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In other languages
bent
British English: bent
/bɛnt/ ADJECTIVE
not straight Something that is bent is not straight.
Keep your knees slightly bent.
- American English: bent /ˈbɛnt/ not straight
- Arabic: مُنْعَطِف
- Brazilian Portuguese: dobrado
- Chinese: 弯曲的
- Croatian: savijen
- Czech: ohnutý
- Danish: bøjet
- Dutch: krom
- European Spanish: doblado
- Finnish: taipunut
- French: tordu
- German: gebeugt
- Greek: λυγισμένος
- Italian: piegato
- Japanese: 曲がった not straight
- Korean: 굽은
- Norwegian: bøyd
- Polish: zgięty
- European Portuguese: dobrado
- Romanian: îndoit
- Russian: изогнутый
- Latin American Spanish: doblado
- Swedish: böjd
- Thai: งอ, คด, โค้ง
- Turkish: bükülmüş
- Ukrainian: вигнутий
- Vietnamese: cong
British English: bent
/bɛnt/ ADJECTIVE
dishonest If you say that someone in a position of responsibility is bent, you mean that they are dishonest or do illegal things.
...this bent accountant.
- American English: crooked /ˈkrʊkɪd/ dishonest
- Arabic: غَيْرُ أَمِيـن
- Brazilian Portuguese: desonesto
- Chinese: 不诚实的
- Croatian: nepošten
- Czech: nečestný
- Danish: uhæderlig
- Dutch: omkoopbaar
- European Spanish: corrupto
- Finnish: kiero
- French: véreux
- German: unehrlich
- Greek: ανέντιμος
- Italian: disonesto
- Japanese: 不正直な dishonest
- Korean: 부정직한
- Norwegian: korrupt
- Polish: nieuczciwy
- European Portuguese: desonesto
- Romanian: corupt
- Russian: бесчестный
- Latin American Spanish: tramposo
- Swedish: oärlig
- Thai: ที่คดโกง
- Turkish: namussuz
- Ukrainian: крадений
- Vietnamese: không trung thực
British English: bent
NOUN /bɛnt/
If you have a bent for something, you have a natural ability to do it or a natural interest in it.
His bent for natural history directed him towards his first job.
- American English: bent /ˈbɛnt/
- Brazilian Portuguese: inclinação
- Chinese: 天生的本领
- European Spanish: inclinación
- French: dispositions
- German: Neigung
- Italian: inclinazione
- Japanese: 素質
- Korean: 소질
- European Portuguese: inclinação
- Latin American Spanish: inclinación
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bent
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bent
Source
Definition of bent from the Collins English Dictionary
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