What does "bent" mean?
An inclination or talent.
Bent
adj, name, noun, verb, slang
adj, name, noun, verb, slang ·1 syllable ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: An inclination or talent.
- Grammar: bent is listed as adj, name, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: predilection, proclivity, a thing for, ability.
- Useful contrasts: direct relationship, flat land, outstretched.
- Usage evidence: The doctor bent over the sick boy.
How to use "bent"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "bent" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "bent" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "bent" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "bent" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "bent" is acting as adj, name, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "predilection" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "bent", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 An inclination or talent.
"He had a natural bent for painting."
- 2 Any of various stiff or reedy grasses. countable, uncountable
"His spear a bent, both stiff and strong."
- 3 a special way of doing something wordnet
- 4 A predisposition to act or react in a particular way.
"His mind was of a technical bent."
- 5 Bentgrass (Agrostis spp.). countable, uncountable
Show 11 more definitions
- 6 a relatively permanent inclination to react in a particular way wordnet
- 7 The state of being curved, crooked, or inclined from a straight line; flexure; curvity.
"the bent of a bow"
- 8 A grassy area, grassland. countable, uncountable
"c. 1500, The Ballad of Chevy Chase Bowmen bickered upon the bent."
- 9 an area of grassland unbounded by fences or hedges wordnet
- 10 A declivity or slope, as of a hill.
"Beneath the lowering brow, and on a bent, / The temple stood of Mars armipotent"
- 11 Old dried stalks of grasses. countable, uncountable
- 12 grass for pastures and lawns especially bowling and putting greens wordnet
- 13 Particular direction or tendency; flexion; course.
"bents and turns of the matter"
- 14 A transverse frame of a framed structure; a subunit of framing.; Such a subunit as a component of a barn's framing, joined to other bents by girts and summer beams.
- 15 A transverse frame of a framed structure; a subunit of framing.; Such a subunit as a reinforcement to, or integral part of, a bridge's framing.
- 16 Tension; force of acting; energy; impetus.
"the full bent and stress of the soul"
Verb
- 1 simple past and past participle of bend form-of, participle, past
Adjective
- 1 Folded, dented.
- 2 Corrupt, dishonest. UK, colloquial
- 3 Homosexual. UK, colloquial, derogatory
"Asked bluntly by Julie Webb of the NME whether he was “bent” in December 1974, Freddie answered evasively: “You're a crafty cow. […]”"
- 4 Determined or insistent; inclined, set. with-on
"He was bent on going to Texas, but not even he could say why."
- 5 Annoyed; out of sorts; having a bee in one's bonnet.
"Near-synonym: butthurt"
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 leading a life of crime.
- 7 Inaccurately aimed. slang
"That shot was so bent it left the pitch."
- 8 Suffering from the bends. US, colloquial
- 9 High from both marijuana and alcohol. slang
"Man, I am so bent right now!"
Adjective
- 1 of metal e.g. wordnet
- 2 used of the back and knees; stooped wordnet
- 3 fixed in your purpose wordnet
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"The doctor bent over the sick boy."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "bent"?
Common synonyms include: predilection, proclivity, a thing for, ability, abnormal, affection.
How do you use "bent" in a sentence?
The doctor bent over the sick boy.
Etymology
Etymology 1
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.
Etymology 2
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.