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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
Charles Yu, The Atlantic, 5 Mar. 2026
The fates of Vladimir, John, and the protagonist The series ends with Vladimir, John, and the protagonist all appearing to escape unscathed from the cabin, which catches on fire.
—Tiffany Kelly, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Mar. 2026
For others, animals might be confined to a certain space, allowing investment furniture pieces to escape unscathed from any unwanted scratch marks or stains.
—Rachel Davies, Architectural Digest, 3 Mar. 2026
However, when the pyre was lit, the boy’s devotion to Lord Vishnu protected him and left him unscathed while Holika, despite her immunity, burned to death.
—ABC News, 3 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for unscathed
Cite this Entry
“Unscathed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unscathed. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
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unscathed
adjective
