hell-bent

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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) 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.
    • 2023 September 26, Sam Jones, “Spain elections: Feijóo launches doomed bid to lead country”, in The Guardian‎, →ISSN:
      The PP has seized on the possibility of an amnesty to rally support and to portray the PSOE leader as craven, dependent on Catalan separatists and hellbent on remaining in office.

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

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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