unbendingn.
a. The action of the verb, esp. in senses 3 and 8.
ΘΚΠ
society > leisure > [noun] > relaxation
relaxation1548
unbending1552
relax1597
decompression1951
unwinding1977
the mind > emotion > love > friendliness > social intercourse or companionship > [noun] > freedom from awkwardness in style or behaviour > relaxation from constraint or ceremony
unbending1756
1552 R. Huloet Abcedarium Anglico Latinum Vnbendinge, remissio.
1611 R. Cotgrave Dict. French & Eng. Tongues Destenture, an vnbending, vnstretching, slackening, loossing.
1648 H. Hexham Groot Woorden-boeck Ontspanninge, a Loosening, an Vnbending, or an Vnspanning.
1693 J. Dryden Disc. conc. Satire in J. Dryden et al. tr. Juvenal Satires p. xvii Recreation, for the unbending of our Minds.
1710 D. Manley Mem. Europe II. 99 He found his Understanding return with double Force after such Unbendings.
1756 Monitor No. 53 II. 12 The rest of the evening was spent in table talk, and the easy unbendings of these little nocturnal assemblies.
1841 C. Dickens Old Curiosity Shop i. xxxvi. 298 With such unbendings did Richard..relieve the tedium of his confinement.
1859 G. A. Sala Twice round Clock 218 He was of a disposition, save in casual moments of unbending, quite surprising for its saturnine taciturnity.
b. attributive (or participial adjective.
ΘΚΠ
society > leisure > [adjective] > at or having leisure
freeOE
restingOE
at leisurea1529
vacant1531
otious1614
unbended1693
unbending1701
picktootha1726
disengaged1836
otiant1845
otiose1850
eased1851
vacationing1926
1701 N. Rowe Ambitious Step-mother Ded. I hope it may indifferently Entertain your Lordship at an unbending hour.
1740 C. Cibber Apol. Life C. Cibber Ded. p. viii Where like the fam'd Orator of old, when publick Cares permit, you pass so many rational, unbending Hours.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1921; most recently modified version published online December 2019).
unbendingadj.
1. Not giving way or departing from a position or principle; unyielding, inflexible, steady:
a. Of feelings, dispositions, etc.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > will > decision > constancy or steadfastness > [adjective]
fasteOE
stathelfasteOE
anredOE
hardOE
starkOE
trueOE
steadfast993
fastredeOE
stithc1000
findyOE
stablea1275
stathelyc1275
stiffc1275
stablec1290
steel to the (very) backa1300
unbowinga1300
stably13..
firm1377
unmovablea1382
constantc1386
abidingc1400
toughc1400
sure1421
unmoblea1425
unfaintedc1425
unfaint1436
permanent?a1475
stalwartc1480
unbroken1513
immovable1534
inconcuss1542
unshaken1548
stout1569
unwavering1570
undiscourageable1571
fixed1574
discourageable1576
unappalled1578
resolute1579
unremoved1583
resolved1585
unflexiblea1586
unshakeda1586
square1589
unstooping1597
iron1598
rocky1601
steady1602
undeclinable1610
unboweda1616
unfainting1615
unswayed1615
staunch1624
undiscourageda1628
staid1631
unshook1633
blue?1636
true blue?1636
tenacious1640
uncomplying1643
yieldless1651
riveting1658
unshakened1659
inconquerable1660
unyielding1677
unbendinga1688
tight1690
unswerving1694
unfaltering1727
unsubmitting1730
undeviating1732
undrooping1736
impervertible1741
undamped1742
undyingc1765
sturdy1775
stiff as a poker1798
unfickle1802
indivertible1821
thick and thin1822
undisheartened1827
inconvertible1829
straightforward1829
indomitable1830
stickfast1831
unsuccumbing1833
unturnable1847
unswerved1849
undivertible1856
unforsaking1862
swerveless1863
steeve1870
rock-ribbed1884
stiff in the back1897
the mind > will > decision > obstinacy or stubbornness > [adjective] > inflexible
ironOE
stour1303
strange1338
unmovablea1382
inflexible1398
stoutc1410
unpliablea1425
intreatable1509
stiff1526
stiff-necked1526
unpliant1547
stout-hearted1552
inexorable1553
obstinate1559
strait-laced1560
impersuasible1576
unflexiblea1586
hard-edged1589
adamantive1594
unyielding1594
adder-deaf1597
steeled1600
irrefragable1601
rigid1606
unpersuadable1607
imployable1613
unswayablea1616
uncompellable1623
inflexive?1624
over-rigid1632
unlimbera1639
seta1640
incomplying1640
uncomplying1643
stiff-girt1659
impersuadable1680
unbendinga1688
impracticable1713
unblendable1716
stiff-rumped1728
unconvinciblea1747
uncompounding1782
unplastic1787
unbending1796
adamant1816
uneasy1819
uncompromising1828
cast iron1829
hard-hitting1831
rigoristic1844
ramrod1850
pincé1858
anchylosed1860
unbendable1884
tape-bound1900
tape-tied1900
hard line1903
tough1905
absolutist1907
hard-arsed1942
go-for-broke1946
hardcore1951
hard-arse1966
hard-ass1967
hardball1974
a1688 R. Cudworth Treat. Eternal & Immutable Morality (1731) iv. v. 270 Truth is the most Unbending and Uncompliable..Thing in the World.
1800 E. Hervey Mourtray Family IV. 115 Recollect, that Mr. Silbourne is rather of an unbending temper.
1848 E. Bulwer-Lytton Harold II. viii. iv. 251 His unbending hate of all that was Norman.
1861 T. E. May Constit. Hist. Eng. (1863) I. i. 82 A kind but most unbending answer was returned to Mr. Pitt.
b. Of persons.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > will > decision > constancy or steadfastness > [adjective] > capable of moral effort or endurance
strongeOE
dreicha1200
stable13..
wilfulc1330
toughc1400
durable1541
strong-minded1544
unbending1796
cast iron1829
backboned1940
the mind > will > decision > obstinacy or stubbornness > [adjective] > inflexible
ironOE
stour1303
strange1338
unmovablea1382
inflexible1398
stoutc1410
unpliablea1425
intreatable1509
stiff1526
stiff-necked1526
unpliant1547
stout-hearted1552
inexorable1553
obstinate1559
strait-laced1560
impersuasible1576
unflexiblea1586
hard-edged1589
adamantive1594
unyielding1594
adder-deaf1597
steeled1600
irrefragable1601
rigid1606
unpersuadable1607
imployable1613
unswayablea1616
uncompellable1623
inflexive?1624
over-rigid1632
unlimbera1639
seta1640
incomplying1640
uncomplying1643
stiff-girt1659
impersuadable1680
unbendinga1688
impracticable1713
unblendable1716
stiff-rumped1728
unconvinciblea1747
uncompounding1782
unplastic1787
unbending1796
adamant1816
uneasy1819
uncompromising1828
cast iron1829
hard-hitting1831
rigoristic1844
ramrod1850
pincé1858
anchylosed1860
unbendable1884
tape-bound1900
tape-tied1900
hard line1903
tough1905
absolutist1907
hard-arsed1942
go-for-broke1946
hardcore1951
hard-arse1966
hard-ass1967
hardball1974
1796 T. J. Mathias Pursuits of Lit.: Pt. II 14 Firm, constant, and unbending, he has the principles of a man, who knows and feels what is demanded of him by his country.
1831 W. Scott Count Robert ix, in Tales of my Landlord 4th Ser. III. 194 The veteran and unbending conspirator, Harpax, thus strengthened..the failing spirits of Stephanos.
1871 C. Gibbon For Lack of Gold viii Annie knew how doggedly unbending her father was.
2. Not bending or curving; rigid; esp. of persons, remaining erect, not stooping.
ΘΚΠ
the world > space > relative position > posture > action or fact of bending > [adjective] > bending > not bending
unbending1711
the world > matter > constitution of matter > hardness > types of hardness > [adjective] > stiff or rigid
stithc897
stiff1000
starkOE
inflexiblec1400
rigent?1440
unbowable1537
staffish1545
steya1586
unpliablea1618
rigid1618
unsupple1621
unpliant1624
immercurial1637
steeve1637
starky1657
impliablea1734
tharf1747
stiff as a poker1798
unbending1802
unbowsome1818
crisp1851
unbendable1884
poker-stiff1894
unfluxile1925
1711 A. Pope Ess. Crit. 23 Swift Camilla..Flies o'er th' unbending Corn.
1726 J. Thomson Winter 16 Ye Noble Few! that, here, unbending, stand Beneath Life's Pressures.
1802 W. Paley Nat. Theol. xvi. 293 The short, unbending neck of the elephant, is compensated by the length and flexibility of his proboscis.
1884 F. M. Crawford Rom. Singer (ed. 2) I. 25 The tall old foreigner stood erect and unbending.
Derivatives
unˈbendingly adv.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > will > decision > constancy or steadfastness > [adverb]
anredlyOE
fastlyOE
steadfastly?c1225
stifflyc1290
stably1297
steadfasta1300
stoutly1303
steevely1340
sadlya1375
sturdilyc1374
firm1377
surelyc1380
like a flint1382
tough1398
firmlyc1425
unmovablyc1425
but variancec1430
sad?c1430
immovably1435
toughlyc1450
affirmlya1513
wishly1530
constantly1534
steadily1540
fall back (also flat), fall edge?1553
staidly1571
fixedly1605
indeclinably1624
undeclinably1662
unfalteringly1665
unswervingly1805
unwaveringly1830
indomitably1837
rockily1846
unbendingly1847
indivertibly1853
unshakeablya1864
undyingly1881
unshakenly1882
adamantly1897
1847 Webster's Amer. Dict. Eng. Lang. Unbendingly.
1894 C. N. Robinson Brit. Fleet 439 The usage of the time was unbendingly severe.
unˈbendingness n.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > will > decision > constancy or steadfastness > [noun]
steadfastnessa1000
anrednessOE
stead-stathelfastness?c1225
stability13..
steadfastshipc1320
traistnessa1340
constance1340
sadnessc1384
unmovablenessc1384
hardnessa1400
steadfastheadc1400
unmobletya1425
firmitya1450
constancy1526
constantness1530
firmitude?1541
firmness1553
stoutness1561
settledness1571
cleaving1580
solidity1607
immovableness1617
staunchness1623
fixedness1626
fixationa1631
unswayednessa1656
steadiness1663
sturdiness1675
unbendingness1824
indomitability1851
indomitableness1860
thick and thin1884
fixity1885
unshakability1907
1824 W. S. Landor Imaginary Conversat. I. viii. 96 (note) Unbendingness, in the moral as in the vegetable world, is an indication as frequently of unsoundness as of strength.
1855 I. Taylor Restor. Belief (1856) 59 The spread of Christianity,..[considering] its unbendingness, and the furious hostility it encountered,..is proof of its reality.
1891 G. Meredith One of our Conquerors III. x. 208 She met them with the slender unbendingness that was her own.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1921; most recently modified version published online September 2021).
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n.1552
adj.a1688