bend
gb/bˈɛnd/ us/bˈɛnd/
A2
Anglais
~ 2500
Sens
0 sens
Verbe
A2
action
1
To curve or make curved
To make something change shape so that it is not straight.
Schéma d’usage :
to bend [something]
Erreur fréquente :
Learners sometimes confuse 'bend' with 'fold'; 'fold' usually means to bring parts together, while 'bend' means to make curved without necessarily touching parts together.
Synonymes
curve (Implies a smooth continuous shape rather than a sharp change in direction.)
Antonymes
straighten (Means to make something straight again after it has been bent.)
Collocations
bend a rule
|bend forward
|bend a pipe
|bend the knee
Thèmes
daily life
|movement
|objects
|daily_life
|work
|core_vocabulary
Exemples
- She bent the wire into a circle.
- He bent the metal bar with his hands.
- The wind bent the tall grass.
- Bend the paper slightly to fit it in the envelope.
Exemples pédagogiques
- I bend the spoon.
- She bends her arm.
- He bends the stick.
- Bend the card to put it in the box.
Verbe
A2
action
2
To lean body or part forward/down
To move your body or part of it down or forward by bending joints.
Schéma d’usage :
to bend [forward/back/over]
Erreur fréquente :
Learners sometimes confuse 'bend down' with 'kneel'; kneeling involves resting on knees, while bending down does not necessarily involve touching the ground.
Synonymes
stoop (Often suggests a more pronounced or habitual bending, sometimes due to age or fatigue.)
Antonymes
straighten up (Means to return to an upright position after bending.)
Collocations
bend forward
|bend over
|bend down
Thèmes
daily life
|movement
|body
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Exemples
- She bent over to pick up the coin.
- He bent down to talk to the child.
- Bend forward and touch your toes.
- I bent my head to avoid hitting the beam.
Exemples pédagogiques
- I bend down to tie my shoe.
- She bends over the table.
- He bends forward to look at the book.
- Bend your knees when you jump.
Nom
A2
entity
3
A curve in a path or object
A place where something turns instead of going straight.
Synonymes
curve (More general term for any smoothly bending line or surface.)
Antonymes
straight section (A part that continues without turning.)
Collocations
sharp bend
|around the bend
|a bend in the road
Thèmes
travel
|geography
|nature
|core_vocabulary
Exemples
- There’s a sharp bend in the road ahead.
- The river takes a bend near the village.
- We slowed down for the bend.
- The pipeline has several bends.
Exemples pédagogiques
- There is a bend in the road.
- The river has many bends.
- We stop before the bend.
- The car goes around a bend.
Verbe
B1
action
4
To adapt rules for convenience
To change rules or facts a little to make them work for you.
Schéma d’usage :
to bend [the rules/truth]
Synonymes
adapt (Neutral; means to adjust without implication of dishonesty.)
Antonymes
follow strictly (Means to obey rules exactly as they are written.)
Collocations
bend the rules
|bend the truth
Thèmes
daily life
|ethics
|communication
|business
|law
Exemples
- Sometimes you have to bend the rules to help someone.
- He bent the truth about his experience in the interview.
- They bent company policy for this case.
- She bent the facts to fit her story.
Exemples pédagogiques
- He bends the rules at work.
- She bends the truth to look good.
- We bend the rules for friends.
- They bend the facts for their plan.
Grammaire
Forme canonique
bend
API
GB/bˈɛnd/
US/bˈɛnd/
Syllabes et accentuation
bend (1 syllabe)
Stress on 1st syllable (bend)
Formes du mot
Noun
- Base: bend
- Plural: bends
Verb
- Base: bend
- 3rd Person Singular: bends
- Present Participle: bending
- Past: bended, bent
- Past Participle: bent
Famille de mots
Forms
Related words
bendable
adjective
bendy
adjective
Negative and opposite forms
unbend
verb
Points clés
- Irregular past participle: bent Verb
Expressions
around the bend
1/ɚˈaʊnd ðə bˈɛnd/
idiom
informal
Completely crazy or insane
To be crazy or act in a very strange way.
Exemples
- If you think I’ll do that, you’re around the bend.
- This heat is driving me around the bend.
bend someone's ear
1/bˈɛnd sˈʌmwˌʌnz ˈɪɹ/
idiom
informal
Talk for a long time about problems
To talk to someone for a long time about your problems or complaints.
Exemples
- He spent an hour bending my ear about his job.
- She loves bending anyone’s ear who will listen.
bend over backwards
1/bˈɛnd ˈoʊvɚ bˈækwɚdz/
idiom
Make great effort to help
To try very hard to help someone or do something difficult.
Exemples
- The staff bent over backwards to make us feel welcome.
- The staff bent over backwards to make sure we enjoyed our stay.
- She bent over backwards to meet the deadline.
- She bends over backwards for her friends, even when she is busy.
- The company is bending over backwards to keep its best employees.