Dictionary

hell-bent en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• (Received-Pronunciation) audio
• /ˈhɛlˌbɛnt/ (General-American, Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

From hell (“in a manner that uses all of the strength, speed, or effort that a person can summon”) + bent (“determined, insistent”), that is, in the sense “determined like hell”.

Meanings

1. (informal) Recklessly determined to do or achieve (something).
   • If somebody had asked me why I was so hell-bent on grabbing a piece of Penny Hardwick's chest, I wouldn't have known what to say. And if somebody were to ask Penny why she was so hell-bent on stopping me, I'll bet she'd be stumped for an answer too. 1995, Nick Hornby, High Fidelity, London: Victor Gollancz, →ISBN, page 16:
   • The PP has seized on the possibility of an amnesty to rally support and to portray the PSOE leader as craven, dependent on Catalan separatists and hellbent on remaining in office. 2023 September 26, Sam Jones, “Spain elections: Feijóo launches doomed bid to lead country”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:
   • He was hell-bent on coming first, no matter what.

Forms

Deriveds

hellbender · hell-bent for leather

Synonyms

dead set

Translations (30)

nl vastbesloten (recklessly determined to do or achieve something) · hu (teljességgel) eltökélt (recklessly determined to do or achieve something) · it ostinato (recklessly determined to do or achieve something) · hu (a végsőkig) elszánt (recklessly determined to do or achieve something) · sv fast besluten (recklessly determined to do or achieve something) · de versteift (recklessly determined to do or achieve something) · cs odhodlaný (recklessly determined to do or achieve something) · fi jääräpäinen (recklessly determined to do or achieve something) · bg настървен (recklessly determined to do or achieve something) · ru готовый на всё (recklessly determined to do or achieve something) · it caparbio (recklessly determined to do or achieve something) · ca entossudit (recklessly determined to do or achieve something) · bg заинатен (recklessly determined to do or achieve something) · pl zdesperowany (recklessly determined to do or achieve something) · es empeñado (recklessly determined to do or achieve something) · bg готов на всичко (recklessly determined to do or achieve something) · pl zdeterminowany (recklessly determined to do or achieve something) · de unerbittlich (recklessly determined to do or achieve something) · it determinato (recklessly determined to do or achieve something) · es empecinado (recklessly determined to do or achieve something) · cs pevně odhodlaný (recklessly determined to do or achieve something) · cmn 拼命的 (recklessly determined to do or achieve something) · mi waweruka (recklessly determined to do or achieve something) · es encasquetado (recklessly determined to do or achieve something) · es emperrado (recklessly determined to do or achieve something) · de versessen (recklessly determined to do or achieve something) · fa لجوج (recklessly determined to do or achieve something) · ca encaparrat (recklessly determined to do or achieve something) · fr acharné (recklessly determined to do or achieve something) · mi waweroka (recklessly determined to do or achieve something)

hell-bent en · ADV

Pronunciation

• (Received-Pronunciation) audio
• /ˈhɛlˌbɛnt/ (General-American, Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

From hell (“in a manner that uses all of the strength, speed, or effort that a person can summon”) + bent (“determined, insistent”), that is, in the sense “determined like hell”.

Meanings

1. (informal) In a recklessly determined manner; determinedly, wholeheartedly.

Forms