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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
Laya Neelakandan, CNBC, 3 Apr. 2026
The others competed the process relatively unscathed, but there were questions immediately following the hearing Thursday about whether Shaban and Beckham would survive the process.
—Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 3 Apr. 2026
The domestic media environment has not emerged unscathed.
—Hollie McKay, Deadline, 29 Mar. 2026
Pomeranz couldn’t get out of the eighth unscathed.
—Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 29 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 5 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
unscathed
adjective
