unhurt
A2Pronunciation
UK
- /ʌnhˈɜːt/
US
- /ənˈhɜrt/
Description
- Not injured
- unharmed
- safe
To be unhurt means to escape physical harm or injury. It describes a state of being physically safe after a dangerous or risky situation. You might hope your loved ones return home from a storm unhurt, or feel relieved that someone came through an accident unhurt. The word is mainly used for people or animals, though it can sometimes be used more broadly for things that were not damaged.
The word often appears when describing close calls or lucky escapes. It's not simply "not hurt"; it usually suggests that harm was possible but did not happen. You might say, "Despite falling from the ladder, he remained unhurt," or, "She walked away from the car crash unhurt." The opposite of unhurt is hurt, injured, or wounded.
The word "unhurt" describes someone or something that has come through a dangerous event without injury or damage. It is more than just the absence of wounds; it usually suggests that harm was possible but did not happen. Imagine a hiker caught in a sudden avalanche: to emerge unhurt suggests a very fortunate escape.
Unhurt often appears in stories about danger, accidents, and survival. News reports might say that "all passengers were unhurt after the plane made an emergency landing," or a character in a novel might be described as "walking away from the wreckage, shaken but unhurt." The word often carries a feeling of relief.
It is most often used for physical safety. A person can be unhurt after a fall, a crash, a fire, or another event where injury seemed likely. It can also be used for objects, places, or animals that escaped damage, though this is less common than its use for people.
It is also important to note that unhurt is not always the same as fine. Someone may be unhurt physically but still frightened or upset after what happened. The word focuses on the absence of injury or damage and highlights a fortunate result in a situation that could have ended badly. When you hear unhurt, picture someone coming through real danger safe and whole.
Examples
- 1
Child fall
After the fall, the toddler was crying but unhurt.
- 2
Passenger safety
The passengers were shaken, but otherwise unhurt.
- 3
Fire escape
Everyone escaped unhurt when the fire broke out.
Phrase
escape unhurt
get away without being injured
- 4
Ice slip
She slipped on the ice and somehow came away unhurt.
Phrase
come away unhurt
have something bad happen but not be injured
- 5
Reputation damage
The company came through the scandal largely unhurt.
Pattern
come through + problem unhurt
not be seriously damaged by it
Forms and spellings
1 form open this card.
Main spelling
- unhurtadjective