bend

Universal Words verb, noun verb (bent, bent ) 1 [often +adv./prep.] (especially of sb's body or head) to lean, or make sth lean, in a particular direction: [V] He bent and kissed her. * fields of poppies bending in the wind * The doctor told me to avoid bending and stretching. * His dark head bent over her. * She bent forward to pick up the newspaper. * Slowly bend from the waist and bring your head down to your knees. * [VN] He bent his head and kissed her. * She was bent over her desk writing a letter. 2 if you bend your arm, leg, etc. or if it bends, you move it so that it is no longer straight: [VN] Bend your knees, keeping your back straight. * [V] Lie flat and let your knees bend. 3 [VN] to force sth that was straight into an angle or a curve: Mark the pipe where you want to bend it. * The knives were bent out of shape. * He bent the wire into the shape of a square. 4 to change direction to form a curve or an angle; to make sth change direction in this way: [V] The road bent sharply to the right. * [VN] Glass and water both bend light. IDIOMS bend sb's ear (about sth) (informal) to talk to sb a lot about sth, especially about a problem that you have bend your mind / efforts to sth (formal) to think very hard about or put a lot of effort into one particular thing bend the truth to say sth that is not completely true: I wasn't exactly lying when I said I hadn't seen her-I was just bending the truth a little. on bended knee(s) if you ask for sth on bended knee(s), you ask for it in a very anxious and/or HUMBLE way: I'd go down on bended knee if I thought she'd change her mind. moreatBACKWARDS, RULEn. PHRASALVERBS bend sb to sth (formal) to force or persuade sb to do what you want or to accept your opinions: He manipulates people and tries to bend them to his will (= make them do what he wants). * She managed to bend the committee to her opinion. noun 1 [C] a curve or turn, especially in a road or river: a sharp bend in the road * You took that bend very fast! seealsoHAIRPINBEND 2 (the bends) [pl.] severe pain and difficulty in breathing experienced by a DIVER who comes back to the surface of the water too quickly IDIOMS round the bend / twist (informal, especially BrE) crazy: She's gone completely round the bend. * The children have been driving me round the bend today (= annoying me very much).