unbending

U1N1B3E1N1D2I1N1G2

adjective

inflexible and not yielding

Similar
remotestandoffishaloofcooldistantfrostyhanktyhard-to-get
OriginEnglish bending ← Middle English un- ← Old English un- →
UncommonScrabble 13
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Meanings

unbending1

adjectiveunbending (comparative more unbending, superlative most unbending)

comparative more unbending · superlative most unbending

  1. inflexible and not yielding
  2. very reserved, aloof and asocial

    Synonyms: remote, standoffish, aloof, cool, distant, frosty, hankty, hard-to-get

unbending2

verb
  1. gerundparticiplepresentpresent participle and gerund of unbend
noununbending (plural unbendings)

plural unbendings

  1. The act of one who unbends.

    He was a frequent visitor at Wimbledon where Mr. Wilberforce now resided, and the following account is given of his social unbendings.

    1838, The Eclectic Review

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectivevery reserved, aloof and asocial

Similar
remotestandoffishaloofcooldistantfrostyhanktyhard-to-getoffishquietremotestandoffishstrangethornytouch-me-not-ishunapproachableundemonstrativeunimpressionableuninvolved

More synonyms by meaning

adjectiveincapable of adapting or changing to meet circumstances

Similar
inflexiblerigidunadaptable
Also see
aloofdistantfrostygrimhanktyhardhard-to-getinflexibleobstinateoffishquietremoterigidstandoffishstiffstrangetouch-me-not-ishtoughunadaptableunapproachableunconcernedundemonstrativeunimpressionableuninvolved

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

unbending · adjective

  1. Proto-Indo-European*né
  2. Proto-Indo-European*n̥-
  3. Proto-Germanic*un-
  4. Proto-West Germanic*un-
  5. Old Englishun-
  6. Middle Englishun-
  7. Englishun-
  8. Englishbending
  9. Englishunbending

From un- + bending.

Full word history & related roots →

unbending · verb, noun

From unbend + -ing.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek ἄκαμπτος
  • ἄκαμπτος (ákamptos)inflexible
Bulgarian твърд, несгъваем
  • твърд (tvărd)inflexible
  • несгъваем (nesgăvaem)inflexible
Dutch onbuigzaam
  • onbuigzaaminflexible
Esperanto nefleksiĝa
  • nefleksiĝainflexible
Finnish taipumaton
  • taipumatoninflexible
French inflexible
  • inflexibleinflexible
German unbeugsam, unnachgiebig
  • unbeugsaminflexible
  • unnachgiebiginflexible
Italian inflessibile
  • inflessibileinflexible
Latin rigens
  • rigensinflexible
Māori torotika
  • torotikainflexible
Polish nieugięty
  • nieugiętyinflexible

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with unbending

endingsendingspendingpendingattendingdescendingascendingdefendingblendingoffendingimpendingintendingcondescendinguncomprehendingantispendingdetrendingnonendingunpretending
All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

unbending. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/unbending

MLA

“unbending.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/unbending. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “unbending,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/unbending.

Source: unbending on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.