Bend — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

verb noun /ˈbend/

Meaning & Definition of Bend

Bend (verb)

  1. to constrain or strain to tension by curving
  2. to turn or force from straight or even to curved or angular
  3. to force from a proper shape

Bend (noun)

  1. the act or process of bending, the state of being bent
  2. something that is bent
  3. a curved part of a path (as of a stream or road)
  4. a diagonal band that runs from the dexter chief to the sinister base on a heraldic shield
  5. a knot by which one rope is fastened to another or to some object

Bend (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to cause to turn away from a straight line

    "she bent the blade of the knife when she got it jammed in the drawer"

    similar: arch, bow, crook, curve, hook, swerve
    related: arc, round, incurvate, incurve, inflect, reflect, deflect, divert, entwine, kink, swirl, turn, twine, twist, veer, warp, coil, curl, enroll, loop, spiral, dent, dimple, meander, wave, weave, wind, decline, incline, slope
    opposite: straighten, unbend, uncurl

  2. to occupy (oneself) diligently or with close attention

    "bent herself to the task for the rest of the day"

    similar: address, apply, buckle, devote, give, get cracking, get one's act together, get with it, turn one's hand
    related: readdress, reapply, knuckle down, set (to), settle (down), busy, commit, concern, engage, involve, exert, exhaust, put out, spend, strain, stress, tax, trouble, wear out, carry on, pitch in, plunge (in), grind, hump, hustle, peg (away), plod, plow, plug (away), work
    near: dally, dawdle, dillydally, fiddle (around), fool around, idle, mess around, monkey (around), play, potter (around), putter (around), trifle

  3. to point or turn (something) toward a target or goal

    "bent all of his efforts toward making his first documentary film"

    similar: aim, cast, direct, head, hold, level, pinpoint, set, train
    related: sight, bear, face, concentrate, focus, incline, orient, steer
    near: avert, curve, deflect, detour, divert, rechannel, shunt, sidetrack

  4. to turn away from a straight line or course

    "the stream bends slightly to the east"

    similar: arc, arch, bow, crook, curve, fall off, hook, round, sweep, swerve, trend, wheel
    related: circle, coil, curlicue, curl, loop, spiral, turn, twist, wind, deviate, veer
    opposite: straighten

  5. 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"

    similar: color, cook, distort, falsify, fudge, garble, misinterpret, misrelate, misrepresent, misstate, pervert, slant, twist, warp
    related: misdescribe, misspeak, mistranslate, belie, camouflage, disguise, dissemble, gloss (over), mask, veil, whitewash, bowdlerize, censor, complicate, confound, confuse, mistake, mix (up), mystify, obscure, equivocate, fib, lie, palter, prevaricate
    near: clarify, clear (up), explain, illuminate, illustrate, interpret, spell out, decipher

  6. to cause (something) to hold to another

    "bend a leash to the dog's collar"

    similar: affix, attach, fasten, fix
    related: adhere, bolt, cinch, clamp, clasp, clench, clinch, clip, glue, hang, harness, hasp, lace, lash, latch, nail, paste, pin, plaster, rivet, screw, shackle, staple, stick, strap, tack, tackle, tie, toggle, yoke, coapt, connect, join, link, unite, reaffix, reattach, refasten, refix, resecure, batten, belay, button, do up
    opposite: detach, undo, unfasten, unhook
    near: break up, disconnect, disjoin, disjoint, dissever, dissociate, disunite, divide, divorce, part, separate, sever, split, sunder, uncouple, unlink, unyoke, loose, loosen, unbind, unfix, unlash, untie

Bend (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. something that curves or is curved

    "it's hard to see around that bend in the road, so be careful"

    similar: angle, arc, arch, bow, crook, curvature, curve, inflection, turn, wind
    related: kink, warp, circle, ring, ringlet, round, coil, curl, curlicue, buckle, convolution, flexure, fold, loop, spiral, swirl, twist, winding, incurvature, reflection, decline, inclination, incline, slope, corner, turnoff, dogleg, hairpin

  2. the act of positioning or an instance of being positioned at an angle

    "did knee bends for exercise"

    similar: angling, cock, inclination, list, tilt, tip
    related: turn, twist, veer, bow, dip, nod

Related Entry: Around the bend (phrase)

Around the bend is a different word from Bend. The synonyms below are for around the bend, not for bend.

  1. having or showing a very abnormal or sick state of mind

    "The way he's acting you'd think he's gone around the bend."

    similar: bats, batty, bonkers (informal + sometimes offensive), brainsick, certifiable (dated, informal + disparaging), cracked (informal + disparaging), crackers (informal + disparaging), crazed (sometimes offensive), crazy (usually offensive), daft (chiefly British, informal), demented, deranged (often offensive), haywire, loco (slang), mad, maniacal, mental (sometimes offensive), non compos mentis, nuts (informal + sometimes offensive), nutty (sometimes offensive), psycho (informal + disparaging), psychotic (sometimes offensive), unbalanced, unhinged, unsound, wud (chiefly Scottish), off one's gourd, off one's head, out of one's mind, out to lunch (slang)
    related: dotty, fey, loopy, off, potty (chiefly British), teched, touched, aberrant, delirious, delusional, delusionary, disordered, disturbed, eccentric, odd, oddball, pixilated, queer, strange, foolish, senseless, witless, irrational, unreasonable, amok, ape, ballistic, bananas, berserk, nuclear, depressed, distracted, distraught, frantic, frenzied, hysterical, raving, wigged-out, fixated, monomaniac, monomaniacal, obsessed
    opposite: balanced, compos mentis, sane, sound, uncrazy
    near: clear, lucid, rational, reasonable, judicious, sensible, wise, healthy, normal, well-adjusted, unneurotic

Related Entry: Backward (adverb)

Backward is a different word from Bend. The synonyms below are for backward, not for bend.

  1. toward the rear

    "looking backward, we could see the town receding in the distance"

    similar: back, rearward
    related: astern, sternforemost, anticlockwise (chiefly British), counterclockwise, left-handed, left-handedly, retrograde, reversely, widdershins
    opposite: ahead, along, forth, forward, forwards, on, onward
    near: before

  2. toward the opposite direction

    "the loud noise prompted him to glance backward to see what was happening"

    similar: about, around, back, round
    related: behind, down, downward, rearward, obversely, reversely, across, athwart, counter, counterclockwise, widdershins
    near: clockwise, deasil

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Bend

The most common words with a similar meaning to Bend:

arch, bow, crook, curve, hook, swerve, address, apply, buckle, devote, give, aim, cast, direct, head, hold, level, pinpoint, set, train, arc, fall off, round, sweep, trend, wheel, color, cook, distort, falsify, fudge, garble, misinterpret, misrelate, misrepresent, misstate, pervert, slant, twist, warp

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Bend

Words with the opposite meaning of Bend:

straighten, unbend, uncurl, detach, undo, unfasten, unhook

Related Words for Bend

incurvate, incurve, inflect, reflect, deflect, divert, entwine, kink, swirl, twine, veer, coil, curl, enroll, loop, spiral, dent, dimple, meander, wave, weave, decline, incline, slope, readdress, reapply, knuckle down, set (to), settle (down), busy

Near Antonyms of Bend

dally, dawdle, dillydally, fiddle (around), fool around, idle, mess around, monkey (around), play, potter (around), putter (around), trifle, avert, curve, deflect, detour, divert, rechannel, shunt, sidetrack, clarify, clear (up), explain, illuminate, illustrate, interpret, spell out, decipher, break up, disconnect

Word Forms of Bend

Inflections: bent, bending, bends

Derived words: bendable (adjective)

Origin & Etymology of Bend

Middle English, from Old English bendan; akin to Old English bend fetter band

First known use: before 12th centuryt

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Bend

Words & Phrases Containing Bend

bend one's ear, bend over backward, bend sinister, bend a rule, bend double, bend someone's ear

Frequently Asked Questions about Bend

What does "Bend" mean?

"Bend" means to constrain or strain to tension by curving. As an a verb and a noun, it is defined as: to constrain or strain to tension by curving. It has 8 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Bend"?

Other words for "Bend" include arch, bow, crook, curve, hook, swerve, address and apply. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Bend" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Bend"?

There are 206 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Bend". Common alternatives include arch, bow, crook, curve, hook, swerve, address, apply, buckle and devote.

What is the opposite of "Bend"?

Antonyms of "Bend" include straighten, unbend, uncurl, detach, undo, unfasten and unhook. Near antonyms include dally, dawdle, dillydally and fiddle (around).

How do you use "Bend" in a sentence?

Examples of "Bend" in a sentence: "she bent the blade of the knife when she got it jammed in the drawer"; "bent herself to the task for the rest of the day"; "bent all of his efforts toward making his first documentary film".

Is "Bend" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Bend" can be used as a verb and a noun, depending on the context.

Is "Bend" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a B1-level word, "Bend" is typical of Cambridge B1 Preliminary (PET), IELTS band 4.0–5.0, TOEFL iBT 42–71, PTE Academic 43–58, TOEIC Listening & Reading 550+.

How do you pronounce "Bend"?

"Bend" is pronounced /ˈbend/.