hell-bent

See also: hellbent

English
WOTD – 17 April 2021

Etymology

From hell (“in a manner that uses all of the strength, speed, or effort that a person can summon”) +‎ bent (“determined, insistent”),[1] that is, in the sense “determined like hell”.

Pronunciation

Adjective

hell-bent (comparative more hell-bent, superlative most hell-bent)

  1. (originally US, informal, transitive with on) Recklessly determined to do or achieve (something).
    Synonym: dead set
    He was hell-bent on coming first, no matter what.
    • 1995, Nick Hornby, High Fidelity, London: Victor Gollancz, →ISBN, page 16:
      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.

Alternative forms

Derived terms

Translations

Adverb

hell-bent (comparative more hell-bent, superlative most hell-bent)

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

Translations
in a recklessly determined manner — see determinedly,‎ wholeheartedly

References
  1. “hell-bent, adj. and adv.”, in OED Online Paid subscription required⁠, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, March 2020; “hell-bent, adj.”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
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