unyielding
Americanadjective
-
unable to bend or be penetrated under pressure; hard.
The unyielding metal door resisted the intruder's attempts to force it open.
-
not apt to give way under pressure; inflexible; firm.
Despite her injuries, she maintained an unyielding determination to complete the marathon.
adjective
-
not compliant, submissive, or flexible
his unyielding attitude
-
not pliable or soft
a firm and unyielding surface
Other Word Forms
- unyieldingly adverb
- unyieldingness noun
Etymology
Origin of unyielding
Explanation
When things are unyielding, they won't stop, won't give, or won't bend. That includes stubborn, unyielding personalities and stiff, unyielding mattresses. You know people who never change their minds, even when they're wrong? You could say they're unyielding. This word refers to people who refuse to budge and never give up. Sometimes that’s a good thing, and sometimes it's just plain annoying. Physical things can be unyielding if they're hard or impossible to stop. A hurricane or tornado is unyielding, and so is a speeding train. When you see the word unyielding, think "Can't or won't be stopped."
Vocabulary lists containing unyielding
Power Prefix: un-
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Bush's Address on 9/11
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Beowulf vocabulary
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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.
The guiding principle was not an unyielding requirement of parental involvement, as the court suggests in Mirabelli, but rather paramount concern for children’s well-being.
From Slate • Mar. 12, 2026
Just a dream, grit and unyielding pride in who we represent.
From Barron's • Feb. 17, 2026
Rather than fixating on Jefferson’s quill scratches, Mr. Amar illuminates how this equality ethos resonated with America’s most profound thinkers—from the fiery eloquence of Frederick Douglass to the unyielding advocacy of Elizabeth Cady Stanton.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 12, 2025
Your father wants to do things his way, in an unyielding manner.
From MarketWatch • Nov. 17, 2025
Sierra stopped walking and glanced to either side, but the forest’s darkness was unyielding.
From "Shadowshaper" by Daniel José Older
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.
