Where Does the Phrase Hell Bent Come from?

The use of hell-bent in the sense of “recklessly determined” dates from the first half of the 1800s. Leather alludes to a horse's saddle and to riding on horseback; this colloquial expression may be an American version of the earlier British army jargon hell for leather, first recorded in 1889.

What does it mean to be hell-bent?

: stubbornly and often recklessly determined or intent hell-bent on winning.

Is hell-bent slang?

If you say that someone is hell-bent on doing something, you are emphasizing that they are determined to do it, even if this causes problems or difficulties for other people.