bent

bent — adjective

1. having a curved or angled shape, instead of being even and flat or pointing in a

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

having a curved or angled shape, instead of being even and flat or pointing in a single line.

Example

Rashida picked up the bent nail and tried to hammer it back into shape.

bent + concrete object

Grandma walks slowly with her back slightly bent after years of farm work.

bent describing a body part

Common collocations
  • bent nail
  • bent knees
  • slightly bent
  • bent out of shape
  • bent double
Synonyms
  • curved

    smoothly rounded; suggests intention or design rather than damage

  • crooked

    uneven or twisted, often unattractively so

  • warped

    twisted out of its original flat shape, usually by heat or moisture

Antonyms
  • straight

    having no curves or bends

  • flat

    level and even, with no rises or angles

Grammar Patterns

bent + body part / object

bent out of [shape]

Usage Note

Often describes a thing or body part that has been forced out of its normal straight shape. Frequently follows verbs like 'be', 'get', and 'keep'.

Common Mistakes

My phone screen is bend after I dropped it.
My phone screen is bent after I dropped it.
use the past-participle form 'bent' as the adjective, not the base verb 'bend'.

2. willing to break the law or accept bribes, especially when the person is a polic

2.adjectiveC1
Definition

willing to break the law or accept bribes, especially when the person is a police officer, judge, or other official.

Example

The journalist exposed a group of bent officers who were taking money from drug dealers.

a bent + [official]

Everyone in the small town suspected that the mayor was bent.

predicate use: be + bent

Common collocations
  • bent copper
  • bent cop
  • bent politician
  • bent referee
Synonyms
  • corrupt

    more formal; standard word in news and legal contexts

  • crooked

    informal; covers a wider range of dishonest people, not just officials

  • dirty

    very informal; often paired with 'cop' for a corrupt police officer

Antonyms
  • honest

    telling the truth and refusing bribes

  • straight

    informal opposite, often describing a clean police officer or politician

Grammar Patterns

a bent + [official / professional]

Usage Note

Informal British usage and almost always applied to people in positions of trust or power, such as police, politicians, or judges. Distinguish from sense 1 (NOT STRAIGHT): this sense describes character, not physical shape.

Common Mistakes

My neighbour cheated me, so he is bent.
My neighbour cheated me, so he is dishonest.
'bent' usually targets corrupt officials or professionals, not ordinary cheats.

3. fixed on doing or getting something, usually something harmful or troublesome, a

3.adjectiveC1
Definition

fixed on doing or getting something, usually something harmful or troublesome, and refusing to be turned aside.

Example

Tariq was bent on revenge after his brother was cheated out of the family land.

bent on + abstract noun

The new manager seems bent on cutting every job she can find.

bent on + -ing clause

Common collocations
  • bent on revenge
  • bent on destruction
  • bent on winning
  • seemingly bent on
Synonyms
  • determined

    neutral; can describe good or bad goals

  • intent

    more formal; followed by 'on' with similar meaning

  • set

    informal; 'set on' means firmly decided, less negative than 'bent on'

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

bent on + -ing

bent on + noun

Usage Note

Almost always followed by 'on' plus an -ing form or noun. The goal is usually one the speaker disapproves of, so the word carries a mildly negative tone.

Common Mistakes

She is bent to win the prize.
She is bent on winning the prize.
use 'bent on + -ing', not 'bent to + verb'.
Idioms

bent on (doing) something

idiom

Having a strong and fixed intention to do something, often something harmful or negative.

Maya is bent on finishing her project by midnight.

The villain seemed bent on destroying the entire city.

get bent out of shape (about/over something)

idiom

To become very angry, worried, or upset about something, often unnecessarily.

Don't get bent out of shape over a small typo.

Why is Sara getting bent out of shape about the delay?

bent — noun

Word family

  • bend
    verbB1
  • bend
    nounB1
  • bendable
    adjectiveC1
  • unbent
    adjectiveC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All four describe a shape that is not straight, but they differ in cause and feel. 'Curved' is the most neutral and often suggests a smooth, designed shape, like a curved roof or curved coastline. 'Bent' usually implies that something straight has been forced out of its original shape, often by accident or pressure — a bent nail, a bent spoon, a bent knee. 'Crooked' adds a sense of unevenness or untidiness; a crooked picture frame is annoying to look at, and a crooked smile is charmingly uneven. 'Warped' is reserved for flat surfaces like wood or metal that have twisted because of heat, water, or age, as in a warped door that no longer closes properly. So you might say: 'The curved bridge looked beautiful, but the bent guardrail and the warped wooden planks made it dangerous to cross.'

bent ↗curved ↗crooked ↗warped

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • bent out of shape
  • bent double
  • bent on revenge
  • a bent for

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishModern English

'Bent' began life as the past form of the Old English verb 'bendan', meaning to fasten or pull a bow into a curve. Over time, anything pulled out of a straight line could be described as 'bent', and the word became an adjective in its own right. The figurative uses grew naturally from this picture: a person 'bent on' something is mentally pulled toward it like a drawn bow, and a 'bent' for an activity is the inner pull that draws someone to it. The British informal sense 'corrupt' is a more recent slang extension, treating a dishonest official as a person who has been twisted from the straight path.