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; see un- 1, scathe ( def. ), -ed 2 ( def. )
Explanation
If you walked away from a nasty bike accident without a scratch, you walked away unscathed, meaning you came out unharmed. You can also come through a scandal unscathed, with your reputation untarnished, or your dog-walking business may emerge from the financial crisis unscathed and more profitable than ever. With the word unscathed, there's always a sense of something bad that might have happened but didn't.
Vocabulary lists containing unscathed
Oedipus the King
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The Odyssey
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Unbroken
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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.
“They know that they’re not going to get through this unscathed, but they feel the person who could do the best job of making sure that they’re damaged the least is Mark Carney.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026
"The next I saw him was when I was literally underneath him and thankfully no serious damage. A couple of bumps and bruises but managed to walk away unscathed, luckily."
From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026
Of course, equities won’t escape rising oil prices unscathed.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 15, 2026
Even now, with fighting centered away from Khartoum, the scars persist: Almost no structure, be it the multistory gold souq, the national cinema or the four museums in the capital, stands unscathed.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026
And a fire destroyed the office of District Attorney George Graham, leaving only a photograph of Holmes unscathed.
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
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.
