unbowed

adjective

un·​bowed ˌən-ˈbau̇d How to pronounce unbowed (audio)
1
: not bowed down
2
: not subdued
bloodied but unbowed

Examples of unbowed in a Sentence

He was unbowed by failure.
Recent Examples on the Web Bruised, bloodied but unbowed, JuJu Watkins had 17 points and eight rebounds to lead USC to a 65-62 win over Arizona in the quarterfinals of the Pac-12 tournament at MGM Grand Garden Arena. Austin Knoblauch, Los Angeles Times, 8 Mar. 2024 And the Houthis themselves appear unbowed after the U.S.-led coalition’s attacks. Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 16 Jan. 2024 Rosenthal’s belief in the institution of the Times was unbowed by a range of workplace troubles. Nathan Heller, The New Yorker, 21 Nov. 2023 Chastened but unbowed, Guyot de Maîche and his wife, Louise Marie Catherine Genevieve de La Touche, returned to the obscure confines of his ancestral estate, sculpting it to mirror the life that had been denied them. Gisela Williams Joaquín Laguinge, New York Times, 1 Nov. 2022 The anti-vaxxer was probably still in their community, presumably unbowed and unvaccinated. Jennifer Szalai, New York Times, 30 Aug. 2023 Although her nose was bloodied in this match at 160 against Marshfield's Nate Lang, Silver Lake's Lindsay Laws remained unbowed as the reigning Girls' All-States champion in her weight class. Aj Traub, BostonGlobe.com, 14 Jan. 2023 But Morgan and Miller were unbowed, so on September 10, arsonists attempted to set fire to Miller’s printing office. Colin Dickey, Smithsonian Magazine, 11 July 2023 Each picture is devoid of humans, but their spirit, brutalized but unbowed, is present. Robin Givhan, Washington Post, 9 June 2022

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 19 Mar. 2024.

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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