unyielding
Americanadjective
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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
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not compliant, submissive, or flexible
his unyielding attitude
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not pliable or soft
a firm and unyielding surface
Other Word Forms
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.
Rogozhin implies that while Westerners merely intellectualize doubt, Russians possess a total, unyielding nihilism—a ne plus ultra of unbelief, with no way back to faith.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026
In the past week, various negative factors converged to make investors even more nervous about a tech sector so highly tied to unyielding artificial-intelligence spending.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 30, 2026
An unyielding U.S. economy has shrugged off a number of blows to keep growing at a faster-than-expected speed — and there’s a good chance the six-year old expansion has a lot more room to run.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 23, 2026
With a 4.7 grade-point average and an unyielding determination to seek an opportunity to play football at the next level, Cadet is leaving nothing for chance.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026
Enveloped in an aura of righteousness and unyielding principles, Miss Brent sat in her crowded third-class carriage and triumphed over its discomfort and its heat.
From "And Then There Were None" by Agatha Christie
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
