unscathed
Americanadjective
adjective
Usage
What does unscathed mean? Unscathed is an adjective used to describe being “uninjured” or “unharmed,” especially after a trying or dangerous experience. This word isn’t only used in situations where someone or something has escaped physical injury. It can also be applied to when a person’s reputation, finances, or emotional well-being are unscathed after some major ordeal. Example: The company was lucky to come out of the economic crisis unscathed, still turning a profit and even hiring new employees.
Etymology
Origin of unscathed
First recorded in 1400–50; Middle English; un- 1, scathe ( def. ), -ed 2 ( def. )
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.
The outcome could have been very different after a fire broke out Tuesday at a well-known Hollywood venue, but the site emerged relatively unscathed, the owner said, chalking it up to “true Magic Castle magic!”
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026
Still, markets and the U.S. economy could be relatively unscathed if the American military campaign brings Iran to the negotiating table, Beaulieu at Conning said.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 2, 2026
Nonetheless, IT firms won't emerge unscathed from this once-in-a-lifetime technological shift.
From BBC • Mar. 16, 2026
In the first, the Middle East conflict ends quickly, allowing oil and natural-gas prices to normalize by the summer, and leaving growth and inflation largely unscathed.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 11, 2026
For once more lust of battle was on him; and he was still unscathed, and he was young, and he was king: the lord of a fell people.
From "The Return of the King" by J.R.R. Tolkien
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.
