BENT Synonyms: 404 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

bent 1 of 3

adjective

Definition of bent next

chiefly British

as in crooked

given to or marked by cheating and deception the drug dealer knew which of the cops were bent

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

bent

2 of 3

noun

ˈbent

as in tendency

a habitual attraction to some activity or thing the perfect gift for a person of a literary bent

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in knack

a special and usually inborn ability having a decided bent for languages, he picked up Italian in no time

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

bent

3 of 3

verb

past tense of bend

as in arched

to cause to turn away from a straight line she bent the blade of the knife when she got it jammed in the drawer

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in devoted

to occupy (oneself) diligently or with close attention bent herself to the task for the rest of the day

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in aimed

to point or turn (something) toward a target or goal bent all of his efforts toward making his first documentary film

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in curved

to turn away from a straight line or course the stream bends slightly to the east

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

straightened

as in distorted

to change so much as to create a wrong impression or alter the meaning of attorneys bending the facts to put their client in the most favorable light

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in attached

to cause (something) to hold to another bend a leash to the dog's collar

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Examples of bent in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

The eight-piece stainless steel set comes with a knife, fork, spoon, chopsticks, straight straw, bent straw, straw cleaning brush, and carrying case. —

Jamie Spain, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Oct. 2024 But a few blocks from the Dotson's house, the concrete pillars of a home closer to the beach were bent flat like grass. —

Trevor Hughes, USA TODAY, 29 Sep. 2024

Noun

The royal attended the opening of the 2024-25 season of the Royal Theater in Madrid, wearing a classic ensemble with a sustainable bent. —

Julia Teti, WWD, 24 Sep. 2024 The two Soul Reaver games were supernatural action puzzlers with a heavy Lovecraftian bent released first for the original PlayStation and Windows PCs in 1999, then for the Sega Dreamcast in 2000. —

Wes Davis, The Verge, 24 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for bent

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bent.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Cite this Entry

Style

“Bent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bent. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.

Copy Citation

Last Updated: 29 Oct 2024 - Updated example sentences

Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.

Can you solve 4 words at once?

Word of the Day

amalgamate

See Definitions and Examples »

Get Word of the Day daily email!

Synonyms of bent

adjective

noun

verb

Synonym Chooser

Examples of bent in a Sentence

Thesaurus Entries Near bent

Cite this Entry