Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

hell-bent

/ˈhɛlˌbɛnt/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 3.96 in modern English

Syllables: hel-l-bent
IPA: /ˈhɛlˌbɛnt/

13

Scrabble Score

8

Letters

3

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

Recklessly determined to do or achieve (something).

Informal

adv

In a recklessly determined manner; determinedly, wholeheartedly.

Informal

Example Sentences

"He was hell-bent on coming first, no matter what."
"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."
"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."

Etymology

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

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈhɛlˌbɛnt/
British English: /ˈhɛlˌbɛnt/

Usage

Informal

Inflected Forms

more hell-bent (comparative) most hell-bent (superlative) hellbent (alternative) hel-bent (alternative) hel bent (alternative)

Derived Forms

hellbender

Phrases

hell-bent for leather

Synonyms

dead set

Rhymes With

went event present sent percent spent content meant cent prevent rent extent

Questions

How do you pronounce hell-bent?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈhɛlˌbɛnt/.
What does hell-bent mean?: Recklessly determined to do or achieve (something).
Where does hell-bent come from?: From hell (“in a manner that uses all of the strength, speed, or effort that a person can summon”) + bent (“determined, insistent”), that is, in the sense “determined like hell”.

How to pronounce hell-bent

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “hell-bent”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈhɛlˌbɛnt/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “hell-bent”.
Repeat and practice — Say “hell-bent” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.