bend
[verb]
Synonyms:
- curve, arc, arch, bow, lean, turn, twist, veer
[noun]
Synonyms:
- curve, angle, arc, arch, bow, corner, loop, turn, twist

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Antonyms: straighten
Related Words: arch, curl, double, hook

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

I. bend¹ S3 W3 /bend/ verb (past tense and past participle bent /bent/)
[Language: Old English; Origin: bendan]

1. [intransitive and transitive] to move part of your body so that it is not straight or so that you are not upright:
Lee bent and kissed her.
She bent her head.
Bend your knees, but keep your back straight.
bend over
Emma bent over to pick up the coins.
bend down
I bent down to lift the box off the floor.
bend towards/across etc
He bent towards me and whispered in my ear.

2. [transitive] to push or press something so that it is no longer flat or straight:
You need a special tool to bend the steel.

3. [intransitive] to become curved and no longer flat or straight:
Several branches started bending towards the ground.

4. [intransitive] when a road bends, it changes direction to form a curve:
The road bends sharply to the left.

5. bend the truth to say something that is not completely true

6. bend over backwards (to do something) to try very hard to be helpful:
We bent over backwards to finish it on time.

7. bend sb’s ear spoken to talk to someone, especially for a long time, about something that is worrying you

8. on bended knee
a) trying very hard to persuade someone to do something:
He begged on bended knee for another chance.
b) in a kneeling position:
He went down on bended knee and asked her to marry him.

9. bend your mind/efforts to something formal to give all your energy or attention to one activity, plan etc

10. bend to sb’s will formal to do what someone else wants, especially when you do not want to
⇒ bend the rules at rule¹(1)

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

II. bend² noun [countable]

1. a curved part of something, especially a road or river:
The car came round the bend at a terrifying speed.
bend in
a sharp bend in the road

2. an action in which you bend a part of your body:
We started the session with a few knee bends to warm up.

3. drive somebody round the bend British English spoken to annoy someone:
His attitude drives me round the bend.

4. be/go round the bend British English spoken to be or become crazy:
I sometimes feel I’m going round the bend looking after young children all day.

5. the bends a painful and serious condition that divers get if they come up from deep water too quickly

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

bend
noun
ADJ. gentle, slight, wide | hairpin, sharp, tight Some of the hairpin bends had Ruth clinging to her seat.
dangerous | blind mountain roads with steep gradients and blind bends
left-hand, right-hand | final (= in a race) He had a winning lead off the final bend.
QUANT. series a series of dangerous bends
VERB + BEND come round, negotiate, round, take, turn He slowed down to negotiate the bend.
PREP. around/round a/the ~ The car vanished round a bend.
into a/the ~ I inched the car into the bend.
off a/the ~ He came off the bend in the lead.
on a/the ~ Slow down on the tight bends.
~ in a wide bend in the river

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

bend
verb
ADV. slightly | quickly, swiftly | backwards, forwards | down, over I bent down and tied my shoelace.
close, nearer Sarah bent close to him.
double I had to bend double to get under the table.
PREP. at Avoid bending at the waist when lifting heavy objects.
towards He came closer and bent towards her.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

bend

a sharp/tight bend (=a curve that changes direction suddenly)
That road sign means you are approaching a sharp bend.
a hairpin bend (=a very sharp bend in which a road changes direction, usually on a mountain)
The road wound up the mountain in a series of hairpin bends.
a slight/gentle/wide bend (=that changes direction slightly or gradually)
Ahead of us there was a wide bend in the river.
a blind bend (=that you cannot see around when you are driving)
Never overtake another car on a blind bend.
a left-hand/right-hand bend (=going towards the left or the right)
Take the turning just after the left-hand bend in the road.
come around/round the bend
Suddenly a motorbike came around the bend at top speed.
round the bend
He rounded the bend much too fast.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲