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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
Sarah Min, CNBC, 31 Jan. 2025
Wrexham’s James McClean appears to have escaped largely unscathed from a car crash yesterday.
—Phil Hay, The Athletic, 23 Jan. 2025
And, in true Bridget Jones fashion, the gown did not make it through the Oscars unscathed, Zellweger revealed.
—Bailey Richards, People.com, 15 Jan. 2025
For now, the only section of the town center that stands somewhat unscathed is the Palisades Village mall, where Caruso called in private firefighters and water trucks to protect his investment.
—Tim Golden, ProPublica, 13 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for unscathed 
Dictionary Entries Near unscathed
Cite this Entry
“Unscathed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unscathed. Accessed 9 Feb. 2025.
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unscathed
adjective
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