unflinching
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of unflinching
Explanation
Use the adjective unflinching to describe someone who's fearless and steadfast, even when they're facing something very difficult. Martin Luther King, Jr. had an unflinching dedication to fighting injustice. To flinch is to pull away in fear or pain. If you don't flinch while your dad pulls a splinter out of your finger, you're unflinching. This means that you're resolute and unwavering, despite the fact that you may be dealing with something scary (or in this case, painful). Other things are figuratively unflinching, like your unflinching honesty, even in the face of a hostile reaction to what you say.
Vocabulary lists containing unflinching
Tuck Everlasting
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Siddhartha
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Put on a Bold Face: Synonyms for "Brave"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“Giant,” which comes packaged in Nicholas Hytner’s impeccable production led by an unflinching John Lithgow, is similarly elevated by its staging, making it difficult to separate the playwright’s excellence from the director’s.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 8, 2026
The show’s unflinching exploration of human nature traces back to visionary British television producer Charlie Parsons.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 25, 2026
Lola Young's Messy - another unflinching portrait of romantic disharmony - is a strong contender for song of the year.
From BBC • Feb. 27, 2026
Parr died in early December aged 73, having spent his life documenting Britain and the world with an unflinching eye that often captured the absurdity and shallowness of modern existence.
From Barron's • Jan. 30, 2026
His talent didn’t necessarily reside in a wisdom for capital and markets but rather in an expert and unflinching opportunism, the hunch for the big kill.
From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
