bent 1 of 3

chiefly British

bent

2 of 3

noun

bent

3 of 3

verb

past tense of bend
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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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of bent
Adjective
According to Ford, Expedition and Navigator vehicles made before this change could possibly experience a bent brake line during the engine installation process. Saleen Martin, USA Today, 15 May 2025 Veterinarians pulled a bent metal spear about 5-feet long that had become embedded in the bull elephant’s foot pad, according to a May 18 Facebook post from the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. Lauren Liebhaber, Miami Herald, 20 May 2025
Noun
Each area has a particular bent: Heart-O-the-Mart features more high-end items, for example, while Black Swan Meadows offers an interesting mix of industrial and handmade pieces. Sara Bliss, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Apr. 2025 The show’s final shot, of Bix holding a baby implied to be Cassian’s, underlined this idea, while also giving Andor a bittersweet bent. Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 14 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for bent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bent
Adjective
  • Throughout the film, newspaper headlines and snippets of TV contextualize the story against the backdrop of anti-Vietnam demonstrations, colleges retaliating to student campus protests and aggressive policing, along with glimpses of Richard Nixon’s crooked grin.
    David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 23 May 2025
  • The moon's insides are crooked thanks to the near side being some 306 degrees Fahrenheit hotter at depth than its counterpart on the lunar far side.
    Ian Randall, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 May 2025
Noun
  • That’s the tendency, when arriving at such milestones — to celebrate the past, and the distance traveled.
    Andy Meek, Forbes.com, 4 June 2025
  • The heavy stacks of cash fit into a pattern emerging throughout the trial as prosecutors attempt to paint Combs as a man spoiled by success, able to hide a tendency for abuse and criminality through a large staff and an ever-larger fortune.
    Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 4 June 2025
Noun
  • Just always had a knack for it, if that makes sense ...
    Becca Longmire, People.com, 5 June 2025
  • For Trump, a man who has always had a knack for drawing a crowd, stablecoins are easy money.
    Dan Alexander, Forbes.com, 5 June 2025
Verb
  • Brown devoted Wednesdays to mobility and conditioning after years of just incorporating it into his daily workouts.
    Chandler Rome, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2025
  • The special section of Art Bulletin—which, as the discipline’s flagship journal, constitutes a semiofficial statement about AI’s importance in the field—devoted the majority of its space to critical commentary about the application of computer vision to works of art.
    Sonja Drimmer, Artforum, 1 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • An immigration surge prior to last year’s homeless count likely distorted the picture of homelessness in the country, according to a Los Angeles Times analysis of research by University of Pennsylvania professor Dennis Culhane, a leading national expert on homelessness.
    Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Mar. 2025
  • But the excitement over defeating the evil scientists and saving the damsel is distorted by the sound of Gemma’s distressed cries.
    Ben Travers, IndieWire, 21 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Murillo’s name has been attached to that song since his first few months in Nottingham and one game in particular when West Ham United were the opposition at the City Ground.
    Daniel Taylor, The Athletic, 21 Mar. 2025
  • Initial experimental validation of the concept Electrodes were attached, and the experiment began in complete darkness, eliminating potential photoelectric interference.
    Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 21 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • The quest to build human-level AI agents using techniques known to produce deceptive tendencies, Bengio says, is comparable to a car speeding down a narrow mountain road, with steep cliffs on either side, and thick fog obscuring the path ahead.
    Harry Booth, Time, 3 June 2025
  • Last year, the Biden administration's Transportation Department opened an inquiry ordering American, Delta Air Lines, Southwest and United to provide records and submit reports to ensure consumers do not face unfair, deceptive, or anticompetitive practices.
    David Shepardson, USA Today, 3 June 2025
Noun
  • In conversations about smart buildings or workplace technology, there’s often an inclination to jump to the latest tools or features.
    Swapna Sathyan, Forbes.com, 5 June 2025
  • This is because a planet's altitude in the sky is dependent in part on the inclination of the ecliptic relative to the horizon, which shifts throughout the year due to Earth's wobbling orbit.
    Anthony Wood, Space.com, 31 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Bent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bent. Accessed 13 Jun. 2025.

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