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Can you be scathed instead of unscathed?
We often hear of a person coming through some difficult circumstance, or dangerous endeavor, and “emerging unscathed,” yet we rarely hear of anyone “emerging scathed.” Why is this? Scathe is a word: it may function as a noun (“harm, injury”) or as a verb (“to do harm to,” “to assail with withering denunciation”). It is not as commonly found as it once was, and now primarily serves as the basis for the adjective scathing (“bitterly severe”) or for the latter portion of unscathed. So you can say that someone “emerged scathed” if you wish, but be advised that it will have a curiously archaic sound to it.
Examples of unscathed in a Sentence
David Sims, The Atlantic, 15 July 2025
His nation has emerged unscathed from the 12-day war between Israel, the U.S and Iran.
—Karen Elliott House, Time, 10 July 2025
Greater Cincinnati was thrashed by severe weather Wednesday night and into the early morning hours Thursday, but emerged largely unscathed compared with the deadly storms that swept across the central U.S. causing widespread damage.
—Quinlan Bentley, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
Macron, who is one of the few leaders to have known Trump during his first term, was the first European leader to visit the White House after Trump took office, emerging unscathed from the Oval Office encounter.
—Rob Gillies, Los Angeles Times, 15 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for unscathed
Cite this Entry
“Unscathed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unscathed. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
unscathed
adjective
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