bends: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
B2Technical (medical/diving), Informal (everyday for curves), Neutral (verb form)
Quick answer
What does “bends” mean?
A condition caused by the formation of nitrogen bubbles in the bloodstream and tissues due to a rapid reduction in air pressure after being in a high-pressure environment, especially affecting divers who ascend too quickly.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A condition caused by the formation of nitrogen bubbles in the bloodstream and tissues due to a rapid reduction in air pressure after being in a high-pressure environment, especially affecting divers who ascend too quickly.
Informal: A sharp curve or turn in a road, river, or path; also used figuratively to describe a difficult or stressful situation. As a verb (to bend), it means to change the shape of something from straight to curved, or to incline the body.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The term 'the bends' is identical in both varieties for the medical condition. For describing a road, BrE might slightly prefer 'bend' (as in 'a sharp bend'), while AmE is equally likely to use 'curve'.
Connotations
Identical for the medical condition. The idiom 'round the bend' (meaning crazy) is primarily BrE.
Frequency
The medical term has similar frequency. The verb 'bend' is extremely common in both.
Grammar
How to Use “bends” in a Sentence
to bend (sth) [ADV/PREP]to suffer from the bendsthe road bends to the leftVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “bends” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- Can you bend down and pick that up?
- The steel beam will bend if too much weight is applied.
- He bent the truth to avoid trouble.
American English
- Bend at the knees, not your back.
- The tree branches were bending in the strong wind.
- They had to bend the schedule to fit us in.
adjective
British English
- He used a bendy straw for his drink.
- The bendy bus navigated the narrow streets with ease.
American English
- She has bendy fingers from doing yoga.
- The bendy ruler is perfect for drawing curves.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
'We might have to bend the rules slightly to meet the client's urgent deadline.'
Academic
'The study examined the incidence of the bends in commercial saturation divers.'
Everyday
'Be careful, there are several sharp bends on this country road.'
Technical
'Decompression stops are mandatory to prevent the formation of nitrogen bubbles that cause the bends.'
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “bends”
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “bends”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “bends”
- Using a singular 'bend' for the medical condition (incorrect: *'he got a bend'; correct: 'he got the bends').
- Confusing 'bend' with 'band'.
- Incorrect past tense: *'bended' (correct: 'bent').
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
When referring to decompression sickness, yes, it is almost always 'the bends'. For a curve, it can be singular ('a bend') or plural ('several bends').
They are often interchangeable for physical shapes. 'Bend' often implies a more angular or sharper change in direction, while 'curve' suggests a smoother, more gradual arc. 'Bend' is also the standard term for a road feature.
Yes, figuratively. 'To bend someone to your will' means to persuade or force them to do what you want. 'Bend over backwards' means to try extremely hard to help.
Only in the fixed, archaic-sounding idiom 'on bended knee' (meaning to plead or propose humbly). In all other cases, the past participle is 'bent' (e.g., 'a bent knee').
A condition caused by the formation of nitrogen bubbles in the bloodstream and tissues due to a rapid reduction in air pressure after being in a high-pressure environment, especially affecting divers who ascend too quickly.
Bends is usually technical (medical/diving), informal (everyday for curves), neutral (verb form) in register.
Bends: in British English it is pronounced /bɛndz/, and in American English it is pronounced /bɛndz/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “drive someone round the bend (BrE)”
- “bend over backwards”
- “on bended knee”
- “bend the rules”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a diver BENDING over in pain as nitrogen bubbles BENDe his blood vessels – that's THE BENDS.
Conceptual Metaphor
PRESSURE IS A PHYSICAL FORCE / DIFFICULTY IS A TWISTED PATH. 'The new regulations put us in a tight bend.'
Practice
Quiz
In which context would you use the phrase 'the bends'?