hell-bent
/ˈhɛlˌbɛnt/ adjective, adverb
Forms hellbent hel-bent hel bent
- adjective (originally US, informal) Recklessly determined to do or achieve (something). [with on ‘something’] “He was hell-bent on coming first, no matter what.”
- adverb (originally US, informal) In a recklessly determined manner; determinedly, wholeheartedly.
Synonyms
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”.
Sources: Wiktionary — from the Wiktionary entry “hell-bent”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details