Bend vs. Bent — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman & Urooj Arif — Updated on March 27, 2024
Bend is the action of curving something, Bent refers to the state of being curved.
Difference Between Bend and Bent
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Bend refers to the action or process of changing the shape of something by applying force without breaking. Whereas, Bent is commonly used to describe the result of bending something - it signifies the condition or shape that an object or material holds after it has been bent.
Bend can also signify flexibility or adaptability in a metaphorical sense. On the other hand, Bent in a metaphorical context often refers to a natural inclination or predisposition towards something.
Bend is used in various grammatical forms depending on the context, including as a verb in its base form ("to bend"), and in its tenses and participles ("bending," "bends," "bent"). Bent, beyond its past participle form of "bend," is also used as an adjective, describing objects, persons, or situations that have been changed or influenced in a way that makes them deviate from their original state or purpose.
Comparison Chart
Grammatical Role
Verb (action)
Adjective (state)
Tense
Present, Future
Past, Present (when used as an adjective)
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Usage
Indicates the action of curving or angling
Describes the condition of being curved
Example in Sentence
"She will bend the wire into a circle."
"The wire is bent into a circle."
Context
Often physical, but can be metaphorical
Primarily physical, sometimes metaphorical
Compare with Definitions
Bend
Action of curving.
To create art, the artist might bend metal into intricate shapes.
Bent
Permanent deformation.
The bent nail could no longer be used.
Bend
Rule flexibility.
Occasionally, teachers bend the rules to accommodate exceptional student needs.
Bent
Adapted purpose.
The bent wire was repurposed as a coat hanger.
Bend
Adaptability.
Successful leaders bend their strategies to navigate complex challenges.
Bent
Inherent inclination.
He has always had a bent for mathematics.
Bend
Physical flexibility.
The gymnast's ability to bend her body amazed the audience.
Bent
Condition of being curved.
After the storm, many trees were left bent but not broken.
Bend
Preparation for change.
Trees bend their branches in anticipation of winter.
Bent
Resistance to original form.
Despite efforts, the bent frame could not be returned to its original shape.
Bend
To cause to assume a curved or angular shape
Bend a piece of iron into a horseshoe.
Bent
Past tense and past participle of bend1.
Bend
To bring (a bow, for example) into a state of tension by drawing on a string or line.
Bent
Altered from an originally straight or even condition
Picked up pieces of bent wire.
Bend
To force to assume a different direction or shape, according to one's own purpose
“Few will have the greatness to bend history itself, but each of us can work to change a small portion of events” (Robert F. Kennedy).
Bent
Determined to take a course of action
I was bent on going to the concert.
Bend
To misrepresent; distort
Bend the truth.
Bent
Chiefly British Corrupt; venal.
Bend
To relax or make an exception to
Bend a rule to allow more members into the club.
Bent
A tendency, disposition, or inclination
"The natural bent of my mind was to science" (Thomas Paine).
Bend
To cause to swerve from a straight line; deflect
Light is bent as it passes through water.
Bent
A transverse structural member or framework that is used for strengthening a bridge or trestle.
Bend
To render submissive; subdue
“[His] words so often bewitched crowds and bent them to his will” (W. Bruce Lincoln).
Bent
Bentgrass.
Bend
To apply (the mind) closely
“The weary naval officer goes to bed at night having bent his brain all day to a scheme of victory” (Jack Beatty).
Bent
The stiff stalk of various grasses.
Bend
(Nautical) To fasten
Bend a mainsail onto the boom.
Bent
An area of grassland unbounded by hedges or fences.
Bend
To deviate from a straight line or position
The lane bends to the right at the bridge.
Bent
Simple past tense and past participle of bend
Bend
To assume a curved, crooked, or angular form or direction
The saplings bent in the wind.
Bent
(Of something that is usually straight) Folded, dented.
Bend
To incline the body; stoop.
Bent
Corrupt, dishonest.
Bend
To make a concession; yield.
Bent
Determined or insistent.
He was bent on going to Texas, but not even he could say why.
They were bent on mischief.
Bend
To apply oneself closely; concentrate
She bent to her task.
Bent
(Of a person) leading a life of crime.
Bend
The act or fact of bending.
Bent
Inaccurately aimed.
That shot was so bent it left the pitch.
Bend
The state of being bent.
Bent
Suffering from the bends.
Bend
Something bent
A bend in the road.
Bent
(slang) High from both marijuana and alcohol.
Man, I am so bent right now!
Bend
A knot that joins a rope to a rope or another object.
Bent
An inclination or talent.
He had a natural bent for painting.
Bend
Bends The thick planks in a ship's side; wales.
Bent
A predisposition to act or react in a particular way.
His mind was of a technical bent.
Bend
Bends (used with a sing. or pl. verb) Decompression sickness. Used with the.
Bent
The state of being curved, crooked, or inclined from a straight line; flexure; curvity.
The bent of a bow
Bend
A band passing from the upper dexter corner of an escutcheon to the lower sinister corner.
Bent
A declivity or slope, as of a hill.
Bend
(transitive) To cause (something) to change its shape into a curve, by physical force, chemical action, or any other means.
If you bend the pipe too far, it will break.
Don’t bend your knees.
Bent
Particular direction or tendency; flexion; course.
Bend
(intransitive) To become curved.
Look at the trees bending in the wind.
Bent
(carpentry) A transverse frame of a framed structure; a subunit of framing.
Bend
(transitive) To cause to change direction.
Bent
Such a subunit as a component of a barn's framing, joined to other bents by girts and summer beams.
Bend
(intransitive) To change direction.
The road bends to the right.
Bent
Such a subunit as a reinforcement to, or integral part of, a bridge's framing.
Bend
(intransitive) To be inclined; to direct itself.
Bent
Tension; force of acting; energy; impetus.
Bend
To stoop.
He bent down to pick up the pieces.
Bent
Any of various stiff or reedy grasses.
Bend
(intransitive) To bow in prayer, or in token of submission.
Bent
A grassy area, grassland.
Bend
(transitive) To force to submit.
They bent me to their will.
Bent
The old dried stalks of grasses.
Bend
(intransitive) To submit.
I am bending to my desire to eat junk food.
Bent
Changed by pressure so as to be no longer straight; crooked; as, a bent pin; a bent lever.
Bend
(transitive) To apply to a task or purpose.
He bent the company's resources to gaining market share.
Bent
Strongly inclined toward something, so as to be resolved, determined, set, etc.; - said of the mind, character, disposition, desires, etc., and used with on; as, to be bent on going to college; he is bent on mischief.
Bend
(intransitive) To apply oneself to a task or purpose.
He bent to the goal of gaining market share.
Bent
The state of being curved, crooked, or inclined from a straight line; flexure; curvity; as, the bent of a bow.
Bend
(transitive) To adapt or interpret to for a purpose or beneficiary.
Bent
A declivity or slope, as of a hill.
Bend
To tie, as in securing a line to a cleat; to shackle a chain to an anchor; make fast.
Bend the sail to the yard.
Bent
A leaning or bias; proclivity; tendency of mind; inclination; disposition; purpose; aim.
With a native bent did good pursue.
Bend
To smoothly change the pitch of a note.
You should bend the G slightly sharp in the next measure.
Bent
Particular direction or tendency; flexion; course.
Bents and turns of the matter.
Bend
To swing the body when rowing.
Bent
A transverse frame of a framed structure.
Bend
A curve.
There's a sharp bend in the road ahead.
Bent
Tension; force of acting; energy; impetus.
The full bent and stress of the soul.
Bend
Any of the various knots which join the ends of two lines.
Bent
A reedlike grass; a stalk of stiff, coarse grass.
His spear a bent, both stiff and strong.
Bend
(heraldry) One of the honourable ordinaries formed by two diagonal lines drawn from the dexter chief to the sinister base; it generally occupies a fifth part of the shield if uncharged, but if charged one third.
Bent
A grass of the genus Agrostis, esp. Agrostis vulgaris, or redtop. The name is also used of many other grasses, esp. in America.
Bend
(obsolete) Turn; purpose; inclination; ends.
Bent
Any neglected field or broken ground; a common; a moor.
Bowmen bickered upon the bent.
Bend
In the leather trade, the best quality of sole leather; a butt; sometimes, half a butt cut lengthwise.
Bent
A relatively permanent inclination to react in a particular way;
The set of his mind was obvious
Bend
(mining) Hard, indurated clay; bind.
Bent
Grass for pastures and lawns especially bowling and putting greens
Bend
The thickest and strongest planks in a ship's sides, more generally called wales, which have the beams, knees, and futtocks bolted to them.
Bent
A special way of doing something;
He had a bent for it
He had a special knack for getting into trouble
He couldn't get the hang of it
Bend
The frames or ribs that form the ship's body from the keel to the top of the sides.
The midship bends
Bent
Altered from an originally straight condition;
A bent wire
Bend
(music) A glissando, or glide between one pitch and another.
Bent
Used of the back and knees; stooped;
On bended knee
With bent (or bended) back
Bend
To strain or move out of a straight line; to crook by straining; to make crooked; to curve; to make ready for use by drawing into a curve; as, to bend a bow; to bend the knee.
Bent
Used especially of the head or upper back;
A bent head and sloping shoulders
Bend
To turn toward some certain point; to direct; to incline.
Towards Coventry bend we our course.
Bending her eyes . . . upon her parent.
Bent
Of metal e.g.;
Bent nails
A car with a crumpled front end
Dented fenders
Bend
To apply closely or with interest; to direct.
To bend his mind to any public business.
But when to mischief mortals bend their will.
Bend
To cause to yield; to render submissive; to subdue.
Bend
To fasten, as one rope to another, or as a sail to its yard or stay; or as a cable to the ring of an anchor.
Bend
To be moved or strained out of a straight line; to crook or be curving; to bow.
The green earth's endWhere the bowed welkin slow doth bend.
Bend
To jut over; to overhang.
There is a cliff, whose high and bending headLooks fearfully in the confined deep.
Bend
To be inclined; to be directed.
To whom our vows and wished bend.
Bend
To bow in prayer, or in token of submission.
While each to his great Father bends.
Bend
A turn or deflection from a straight line or from the proper direction or normal position; a curve; a crook; as, a slight bend of the body; a bend in a road.
Bend
Turn; purpose; inclination; ends.
Farewell, poor swain; thou art not for my bend.
Bend
A knot by which one rope is fastened to another or to an anchor, spar, or post.
Bend
The best quality of sole leather; a butt. See Butt.
Bend
Hard, indurated clay; bind.
Bend
Same as caisson disease. Usually referred to as the bends.
Bend
A band.
Bend
One of the honorable ordinaries, containing a third or a fifth part of the field. It crosses the field diagonally from the dexter chief to the sinister base.
Bend
A circular segment of a curve;
A bend in the road
A crook in the path
Bend
Movement that causes the formation of a curve
Bend
Curved segment (of a road or river or railroad track etc.)
Bend
An angular or rounded shape made by folding;
A fold in the napkin
A crease in his trousers
A plication on her blouse
A flexure of the colon
A bend of his elbow
Bend
A town in central Oregon at the eastern foot of the Cascade Range
Bend
Diagonal line traversing a shield from the upper right corner to the lower left
Bend
Form a curve;
The stick does not bend
Bend
Change direction;
The road bends
Bend
Cause (a plastic object) to assume a crooked or angular form;
Bend the rod
Twist the dough into a braid
The strong man could turn an iron bar
Bend
Bend one's back forward from the waist on down;
He crouched down
She bowed before the Queen
The young man stooped to pick up the girl's purse
Bend
Turn from a straight course , fixed direction, or line of interest
Bend
Bend a joint;
Flex your wrists
Bend your knees
Common Curiosities
What is the meaning of "bend"?
Bend means to shape something by applying force, causing it to curve.
How do "bend" and "bent" relate to physical fitness?
"Bend" relates to the action of moving body parts, while "bent" could describe a position held.
Can "bend" be used metaphorically?
Yes, "bend" can imply flexibility or adaptability, such as bending the rules.
What is an example of bending in everyday life?
Bending a paperclip to use it as a tool for resetting a device.
Is "bent" used in positive or negative contexts?
It can be used in both, depending on whether the change is desired or results from damage.
Is "bent" always related to physical changes?
Primarily, but it can also describe inherent inclinations or predispositions.
How does the grammar of "bend" and "bent" differ?
"Bend" is a verb indicating action, while "bent" is mainly an adjective describing a state.
What does "bent" signify?
Bent refers to the state or condition of having been curved or angled.
Can something be bent back to its original shape?
Depending on the material, some bent objects can be reshaped, though often with difficulty.
Can "bend" and "bent" be used in technology?
Yes, in describing the physical manipulation of materials or metaphorically for adaptability.
Can "bend" imply a temporary change?
Yes, especially when referring to bending rules or temporary physical adjustments.
Is the use of "bent" in describing preferences outdated?
Not necessarily, though its usage might vary with context and audience.
What does it mean when someone has a "bent" for something?
It means they have a natural inclination or talent towards it.
Are there idiomatic expressions using "bend" or "bent"?
Yes, such as "bend over backwards" to imply going to great lengths to help.
How does weather affect the meaning of "bent"?
It can describe the physical state of objects after being exposed to strong winds or storms.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
Co-written by
Urooj ArifUrooj is a skilled content writer at Ask Difference, known for her exceptional ability to simplify complex topics into engaging and informative content. With a passion for research and a flair for clear, concise writing, she consistently delivers articles that resonate with our diverse audience.
