Unscathed

Unscathed is an English adjective meaning not injured, unharmed, or not damaged after a hazardous event. It is used to describe people, objects, or entities that have survived an ordeal or accident without physical injury or lasting damage. The term emphasizes the absence of harm rather than the elimination of risk and can apply to literal injuries as well as metaphorical damage.

Etymology and history: Unscathed is formed from the prefix un- and the noun scathe, an older term for harm or damage. Scathe appears in Middle English and Early Modern English, and unscathed has been in use since at least the 16th century. The word is common in both everyday language and formal writing, though it carries a vivid connotation of surviving unhurt.

Usage notes: Unscathed is frequently used with come through, emerge, or survive, as in "the crew emerged unscathed" or "the city came through the crisis unscathed." It can describe physical outcomes, such as injuries or structural damage, as well as reputational or financial effects that did not cause lasting harm. While it conveys resilience, it does not imply immunity from all consequences, merely the absence of lasting harm in the given context.

Synonyms and distinctions: Related terms include unharmed, uninjured, intact, untouched, and safe. Unscathed is often more emphatic than merely saying something was not damaged and tends to be used in narratives of resilience or recovery. It is less common in highly formal or technical writing, where more neutral terms might be preferred.