unbending

American  

[uhn-ben-ding] / ʌnˈbɛn dɪŋ /

adjective

1. not bending or curving; inflexible; rigid.

2. refusing to yield or compromise; resolute.

3. austere or formal; aloof.

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unbending British  

/ ʌnˈbɛndɪŋ /

adjective

1. rigid or inflexible

2. characterized by sternness or severity

   an unbending rule

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Other Word Forms

• unbendingly adverb
• unbendingness noun

Etymology

Origin of unbending

First recorded in 1545–55; un- ¹ + bend ¹ ( def. ) + -ing ² ( def. )

Example Sentences

In his one shot at the Champions League, Postecoglou was unbending in his attacking mindset even when drawn against Real Madrid.

From BBC • Dec. 12, 2024

She’s watchful, she’s contained, inhabiting the character’s resilience and giving her a core of unbending steel.

From Seattle Times • May 20, 2024

Though she loves to present like any other, round-the-way gal: at 62, she remains remarkably regal — unyielding and unbending as one of the last striking figures of a pale Fox football team these days.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 7, 2024

Religion tends to be about absolute truths and unbending principles.

From Slate • Nov. 9, 2023

It was a musical impulse that relied slavishly on hypnotic repetition and had an unbending loyalty to four steady beats, and it took the world by storm.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall