bent en · ADJ · etymology 1
Pronunciation
- bĕnt (UK, US)
- (US) audio
- /bɛnt/ (UK, US)
Etymology
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.
Meanings
- Folded or dented out of its usual shape.
-
(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.
2026 August 4, Rob Beschizza, “16 felony charges for LAPD officer who recorded colleagues making racist, sexist and homophobic remarks”, in BoingBoing, retrieved 04 Aug 2026:
-
(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. […]”
2019 January 22, Joe Sommerlad, “The reasons why Bohemian Rhapsody faced such a massive backlash”, in The Independent:
-
(with-on) Determined or insistent; inclined, set.
They were bent on mischief.
He was bent on going to Texas, but not even he could say why.
[…]in the ape posse, bent on vengeance, traversing landscapes clothed in snow and bristling with California red fir and silver pine, spooking human stragglers, and running across fresh graves as they search for the nameless colonel and try to piece together why the humans are killing each other.
2017 July 7, Ignatiy Vishnevetsky, “The ambitious War For The Planet Of The Apes ends up surrendering to formula”, in The Onion AV Club:
-
(with about) Annoyed; out of sorts; having a bee in one's bonnet.
Near-synonym: butthurt
She was bent about "certain kinds of people" having civil rights; she wanted to roll those back.
- (qualifier:Of a person) leading a life of crime.
-
(slang) Inaccurately aimed.
That shot was so bent it left the pitch.
- (US, colloquial) Suffering from the bends.
-
(slang) High from both marijuana and alcohol.
Man, I am so bent right now!
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| benter | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic | |
| more bent | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic | |
| most bent | Degree=Sup | lexicographic | |
| bentest | Degree=Sup | lexicographic |
Deriveds
Bentley · prebent · time-bent · semibent · bent on a splice · get bent out of shape · bent as a butcher's hook · hyperbent · get bent · bent as a nine-bob note · bent edge · bentwood · bent function · downbent · bentbill · bent on · nick-bent · hellbent · inbent · bent car · Bent Spear · bent grass · bentness · bent fork · bent copper · bent as a two bob · bowbent · bent-side
Relateds
hell-bent (determined)
Synonyms
crooked · hell-bent · crooked · queer · homosexual · queer · similisexual · that way · like that · homophile · butthurt
Translations (107)
de gay (Homosexual) · ky бүкчүйгөн (folded) · tyz bỉu (folded) · tyz bỉu bương (folded) · ky умтулуу (folded) · gl encartado (folded) · pt torto (folded) · ru повёрнутый (Determined or insistent) · de verbogen (folded) · it ripiegato (folded) · mi piko (folded) · ky тилек (folded) · mi rōiho (folded) · grc σκολιός (folded) · grc καμψός (folded) · ky ийретүү (folded) · it fissato (Determined or insistent) · ru искривлённый (folded) · it piegato (folded) · ky ийрейүү (folded) · ru гну́тый (folded) · hu görbe (folded) · ky ийилген (folded) · ky муундуу (folded) · la curvus (folded) · kea arkuóde (folded) · de gebeugt (folded) · ky кайрылыш (folded) · bg огънат (folded) · mi korotuke (folded) · bg склонен (Determined or insistent) · th งอ (folded) · ca tort (folded) · fi taipunut (folded) · yi בייגיק (folded) · cmn 同性恋的 (Homosexual) · ru гомосяцкий (Homosexual) · pdt kromm (folded) · ka გაღუნული (folded) · fr courbé (folded) · gl torto (folded) · sa भुग्न (folded) · cs rozhodnutý (Determined or insistent) · eu makur (folded) · ota اكری (folded) · de entschieden (Determined or insistent) · ky адат (folded) · cs shrbený (folded) · ky ынтызарлык (folded) · ru изо́гнутый (folded) · ro gârbov (folded) · cmn 彎 /弯 (Homosexual) · ky жантайма (folded) · ky эңкейиш (folded) · fi taittunut (folded) · ro îndoit (folded) · km រំពត់ (folded) · nl gebogen (folded) · sv böjd (folded) · vi cong (Homosexual) · ky бурулуш (folded) · id bengkok (folded) · ky өнөкөт (folded) · su ᮘᮤᮀᮊᮨᮀ (folded) · ky муунактуу (folded) · ky кунт (folded) · mrw bekong (folded) · ko 굽은 (folded) · cs zohýbaný (folded) · ky куштарлык (folded) · hu hajlott (folded) · de homosexuell (Homosexual) · ru со́гнутый (folded) · ky ийри-буйру (folded) · cs ohnutý (folded) · qu wist'u (folded) · bg педерастки (Homosexual) · grc σκαμβός (folded) · ky талаа (folded) · yi בויגיק (folded) · mi kokopa (folded) · mi kōtuke (folded) · kea arkuadu (folded) · ky шалбаа (folded) · ky кыйшык (folded) · ky умтулган (folded) · vi cong (folded) · ru криво́й (folded) · ky чабынды (folded) · tyz bểu (folded) · sip ཀུག (folded) · grc καμπύλος (folded) · pl przegięty (Homosexual) · ga cam (Homosexual) · ky шык (folded) · ky тырышуу (folded) · es doblado (folded) · ky шыктуулук (folded) · nl met de zinnen gezet op (Determined or insistent) · ga lúbtha (Homosexual) · mi korotuketuke (folded) · ky кыйшайуу (folded) · ru пидорский (Homosexual) · ky ынта (folded) · vi méo (folded) · az əyri (folded) · gd lùbach (folded)