unbowed

adjective

un·​bowed ˌən-ˈbau̇d 

1

: not bowed down

2

: not subdued

bloodied but unbowed

Example Sentences

He was unbowed by failure.

Recent Examples on the Web

The protesters, however, seem largely unbowed. —Scott Peterson, The Christian Science Monitor, 17 Nov. 2022

Fellow protesters rinsed her face with milk to ease the sting, and a news photographer took a striking picture of the 84-year-old Ms. Rainey staring, unbowed, straight into the camera. —Ed Shanahan, New York Times, 24 Aug. 2022

The world marked one year since Russian tanks rolled into Ukraine — starting a deadly new phase of a war that had been raging since 2014 — with somber ceremonies and pledges of unbowed support from the Western alliance that has aided Kyiv's defiant defense. —Patrick Smith, NBC News, 24 Feb. 2023

Ukrainians have reacted to such tragedies during nearly a year of war with unbowed defiance, anger and determination to fight back. —Jamey Keaten, BostonGlobe.com, 17 Jan. 2023

Today, though bruised, our democracy remains unbowed and unbroken. —Annie Linskey, WSJ, 8 Feb. 2023

Workers like Edie, however, remain unbowed. —Shamira Ibrahim, Essence, 6 Sep. 2021

Yet the tabloid remained unbowed. —Rachel Cheung, The Atlantic, 24 June 2021

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Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

unbowed

adjective

un·​bowed ˌən-ˈbau̇d 

ˈən-

1

: not bowed down

unbowed heads

2

: not conquered

unbowed by failure