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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
Melinda Moore, Chicago Tribune, 24 Jan. 2026
Through it all, the S & P 500 managed to finish the week relatively unscathed.
—Jeff Marks, CNBC, 23 Jan. 2026
Even Republicans who were frustrated with Carney’s speech predicted the US-Canada relationship would remain unscathed by his harsh assessment of America’s role in the world.
—Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 21 Jan. 2026
While the train disaster claimed more than 40 lives, a 6-year-old child whose family perished emerged mostly unscathed.
—Erin Clements, PEOPLE, 21 Jan. 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 25 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
unscathed
adjective
