unbowed

adjective

un·​bowed ˌən-ˈbau̇d How to pronounce unbowed (audio)
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 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'unbowed.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of unbowed was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near unbowed

Cite this Entry

“Unbowed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unbowed. Accessed 1 Jun. 2023.

Kids Definition

unbowed

adjective
un·​bowed ˌən-ˈbau̇d How to pronounce unbowed (audio)
ˈən-
1
: not bowed down
unbowed heads
2
: not conquered
unbowed by failure

More from Merriam-Webster on unbowed

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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