Synonyms of bent

bent 1 of 3

adjective

chiefly British

as in crooked

given to or marked by cheating and deception

the drug dealer knew which of the cops were bent

Synonyms & Similar Words

• crooked
• deceptive
• fraudulent
• shady
• dishonest
• rogue
• fast
• duplicitous
• false
• sharp
• shifty
• underhanded
• underhand
• artful
• guileful
• treacherous
• double-dealing
• deceiving
• unscrupulous
• unprincipled
• subtle
• cunning
• deceitful
• unethical
• slick
• slippery
• crafty
• unconscionable
• delusive
• wily
• sly
• beguiling
• cagey
• tricky
• insidious
• furtive
• deluding
• sneaky
• devious
• foxy
• delusory
• perfidious
• trickish
• sneaking
• defrauding

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• straight
• honest
• ethical
• upright
• just
• decent
• conscientious
• honorable
• scrupulous
• aboveboard
• straightforward
• forthright

bent

2 of 3

noun

ˈbent 

1

as in tendency

a habitual attraction to some activity or thing

the perfect gift for a person of a literary bent

Synonyms & Similar Words

• tendency
• inclination
• devices
• aptitude
• affinity
• knack
• affection
• leaning
• penchant
• impulse
• proclivity
• disposition
• bias
• predisposition
• predilection
• propensity
• turn
• bone
• genius
• addiction
• talent
• partiality
• preference
• gift
• appetite
• flair
• habitude
• prejudice
• liking
• favor
• habit
• taste
• partisanship
• like
• endowment
• faculty
• fondness
• fancy
• practice
• custom
• pattern
• specialty
• wont
• one-sidedness
• forte
• speciality
• way
• singularity
• kink
• convention
• eccentricity
• quirk
• trick
• routine
• peculiarity
• idiosyncrasy
• oddity

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• distaste
• dislike
• allergy
• aversion
• neutrality
• disinclination
• disfavor
• detachment
• objectivity
• indifference
• impartiality
• disliking
• disrelish
• averseness
• apathy
• unconcern
• nonchalance
• disinterestedness
• insouciance

2

as in knack

a special and usually inborn ability

having a decided bent for languages, he picked up Italian in no time

Synonyms & Similar Words

• knack
• talent
• aptitude
• gift
• flair
• genius
• faculty
• tendency
• endowment
• eye
• ear
• head
• affinity
• mind
• feel
• inclination
• penchant
• nose
• bias
• turn
• impulse
• leaning
• predisposition
• predilection
• propensity
• disposition
• skill
• way
• proclivity
• touch
• instinct
• power
• capacity
• partiality
• potential
• proficiency
• capability
• competence
• facility
• hang
• habitude
• specialty
• forte
• speciality
• specialism

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• disability
• inability
• handicap
• weakness
• incapacity
• shortcoming

bent

3 of 3

verb

past tense of bend

1

as in arched

to cause to turn away from a straight line

she bent the blade of the knife when she got it jammed in the drawer

Synonyms & Similar Words

• arched
• hooked
• curved
• bowed
• crooked
• curled
• twisted
• turned
• rounded
• swerved
• waved
• deflected
• veered
• weaved
• arced
• reflected
• swirled
• inflected
• diverted
• kinked
• warped
• coiled
• incurved
• inclined
• dented
• entwined
• looped
• twined
• spiraled
• sloped
• dimpled
• wound
• meandered
• enrolled
• incurvated
• declined

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• straightened
• uncurled
• unbent

2

as in devoted

to occupy (oneself) diligently or with close attention

bent herself to the task for the rest of the day

Synonyms & Similar Words

• devoted
• applied
• buckled
• committed
• gave
• addressed
• got cracking
• worked
• set (to)
• spent
• concerned
• turned one's hand
• settled (down)
• got with it
• got one's act together
• involved
• engaged
• exerted
• busied
• reapplied
• taxed
• stressed
• troubled
• exhausted
• readdressed
• ground
• humped
• plowed
• strained
• put out
• hustled
• pitched in
• wore out
• knuckled down
• carried on
• plunged (in)
• plodded
• pegged (away)
• plugged (away)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• trifled
• played
• idled
• dawdled
• dallied
• fooled around
• fiddled (around)
• messed around
• puttered (around)
• pottered (around)
• dillydallied
• monkeyed (around)

3

as in aimed

to point or turn (something) toward a target or goal

bent all of his efforts toward making his first documentary film

Synonyms & Similar Words

• aimed
• directed
• headed
• cast
• set
• trained
• held
• focused
• leveled
• pinpointed
• bore
• steered
• oriented
• inclined
• faced
• concentrated
• sighted

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• curved
• deflected
• diverted
• shunted
• averted
• sidetracked
• detoured
• rechanneled

4

as in curved

to turn away from a straight line or course

the stream bends slightly to the east

Synonyms & Similar Words

• curved
• bowed
• rounded
• crooked
• swept
• arched
• turned
• fell off
• arced
• curled
• hooked
• swerved
• wheeled
• trended
• circled
• looped
• coiled
• spiraled
• twisted
• wound
• deviated
• veered
• curlicued

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• straightened

5

as in distorted

to change so much as to create a wrong impression or alter the meaning of

attorneys bending the facts to put their client in the most favorable light

Synonyms & Similar Words

• distorted
• misrepresented
• twisted
• perverted
• warped
• slanted
• complicated
• cooked
• obscured
• misinterpreted
• colored
• falsified
• misstated
• confused
• garbled
• fudged
• censored
• misrelated
• disguised
• masked
• mistook
• camouflaged
• veiled
• whitewashed
• dissembled
• lied
• glossed (over)
• mistranslated
• belied
• mystified
• mixed (up)
• misdescribed
• confounded
• misspoke
• bowdlerized
• equivocated
• prevaricated
• paltered
• fibbed

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• interpreted
• explained
• illustrated
• spelled out
• cleared (up)
• illuminated
• clarified
• deciphered

6

as in attached

to cause (something) to hold to another

bend a leash to the dog's collar

Synonyms & Similar Words

• attached
• affixed
• tied
• glued
• fastened
• connected
• clipped
• strapped
• fixed
• clamped
• adhered
• screwed
• pinned
• stuck
• linked
• clenched
• clasped
• lashed
• riveted
• harnessed
• stapled
• tacked
• shackled
• hung
• tackled
• nailed
• bolted
• cinched
• latched
• yoked
• clinched
• pasted
• laced
• plastered
• united
• joined
• hasped
• toggled
• buttoned
• reattached
• refastened
• coapted
• resecured
• battened
• reaffixed
• refixed
• belayed
• did up

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• detached
• divided
• unfastened
• split
• severed
• unhooked
• separated
• disconnected
• undid
• divorced
• parted
• dissociated
• sundered
• loosened
• broke up
• disjointed
• uncoupled
• disunited
• disjoined
• dissevered
• loosed
• untied
• unyoked
• unlinked
• unbound
• unlashed
• unfixed

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun bent differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of bent are aptitude, faculty, genius, gift, knack, and talent. While all these words mean "a special ability for doing something," bent is nearly equal to aptitude but it stresses inclination perhaps more than specific ability.

a family with an artistic bent

When would aptitude be a good substitute for bent?

While the synonyms aptitude and bent are close in meaning, aptitude implies a natural liking for some activity and the likelihood of success in it.

a mechanical aptitude

When is faculty a more appropriate choice than bent?

The synonyms faculty and bent are sometimes interchangeable, but faculty applies to an innate or less often acquired ability for a particular accomplishment or function.

a faculty for remembering names

In what contexts can genius take the place of bent?

Although the words genius and bent have much in common, genius suggests impressive inborn creative ability.

has no great genius for poetry

When might gift be a better fit than bent?

The words gift and bent are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, gift often implies special favor by God or nature.

the gift of singing beautifully

Where would knack be a reasonable alternative to bent?

In some situations, the words knack and bent are roughly equivalent. However, knack implies a comparatively minor but special ability making for ease and dexterity in performance.

the knack of getting along

When is it sensible to use talent instead of bent?

The meanings of talent and bent largely overlap; however, talent suggests a marked natural ability that needs to be developed.

has enough talent to succeed

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of bent

Adjective

For the calves, heel raises with your legs straight and with your knees slightly bent can build muscle. — Michael Swartzon, Miami Herald, 3 July 2026

However, when the monsters become bent on world domination, the Minions must band together to defeat the creations gone awry. — Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026

Noun

There is often a Midwestern bent to Sorge’s recipes, proper for someone whose home base is Chicago. — Scott Hocker, TheWeek, 25 June 2026

Allowable charitable donations can help ease the program’s regressive bent. — Teresa Ghilarducci, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026

Verb

Blazing Saddles, which was just re-ranked as the funniest movie ever made by the American Film Institute, certainly bent every norm and broke every rule, and potentially offended just about everybody — and therefore nobody — in the process. — Rance Collins, Entertainment Weekly, 28 June 2026

Jay bent down on one knee on December 1, 2023 at the Willard Hotel in Washington DC. — Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 25 June 2026

Phrases Containing bent

• bent (on or upon)
• bent out of shape