bent

Bent is an English word with several related senses. As an adjective, it means curved or not straight, describing objects whose shape deviates from a straight line, such as a bent wire or a bent road. It can also describe a person’s inclination or talent, as in having a bent for languages or for investigative work.

As a verb, bend is the present tense; bent is the past tense and past participle. To bend means to shape something by forcing it to curve, to flex, or to move from a straight position. The phrase “bend the truth” is a common idiom, and “bent out of shape” describes becoming upset or distorted under stress.

Etymology traces bent to the Old English form of the verb bendan/bendan and the broader Germanic root from which bend derives. The figurative sense of inclination or propensity develops from the metaphor of curvature, extending the term from physical shape to personal tendency.

Usage notes include distinct connotations in different dialects. In British English, bent can describe corruption or dishonesty, as in a bent copper. Bent is also used as a surname and, less commonly, a given name.

In science and mathematics, bent appears in specialized terms. In cryptography and Boolean function theory, a bent function is a maximally nonlinear Boolean function used to resist linear attacks. This technical usage reflects the core sense of maximal deviation from a straight, predictable form.