"unbend" meaning in English

See unbend in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Verb

IPA: /ʌnˈbɛnd/ Audio: en-us-unbend.ogg , LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-unbend.wav Forms: unbends [present, singular, third-person], unbending [participle, present], unbent [participle, past], unbent [past], unbended [archaic, participle, past], unbended [archaic, past]
Rhymes: -ɛnd Etymology: From Middle English unbenden, equivalent to un- + bend. Etymology templates: {{inh|en|enm|unbenden}} Middle English unbenden, {{prefix|en|un|bend}} un- + bend Head templates: {{en-verb|unbends|unbending|unbent|past2=unbended|past2_qual=archaic}} unbend (third-person singular simple present unbends, present participle unbending, simple past and past participle unbent or (archaic) unbended)
  1. To remove a bend so as to make, or allow to become, straight. Translations (to remove a bend): изправям (izpravjam) (Bulgarian), redresser (French), se détendre (French), laxeskar (Ido), laxigar (Ido), svergare (Italian)
    Sense id: en-unbend-en-verb-R4YyMWkW Disambiguation of 'to remove a bend': 83 3 4 3 1 2 2
  2. To release (a load) from a strain or from exertion; to set at ease for a time; to relax.
    Sense id: en-unbend-en-verb-JaCHotj8
  3. (nautical) To unfasten sails from the spars or stays to which are attached for use. Categories (topical): Nautical
    Sense id: en-unbend-en-verb-TxeTuUhi Topics: nautical, transport
  4. To cast loose or untie
    Sense id: en-unbend-en-verb-lswZP7vj Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, English terms prefixed with un-, Entries with translation boxes, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries, Terms with Bulgarian translations, Terms with French translations, Terms with Ido translations, Terms with Italian translations Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 9 5 6 71 3 3 4 Disambiguation of English terms prefixed with un-: 16 13 15 21 11 11 14 Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 9 7 8 52 8 8 8 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 7 6 5 68 5 4 5 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 5 4 4 75 4 4 4 Disambiguation of Terms with Bulgarian translations: 15 7 9 46 6 7 10 Disambiguation of Terms with French translations: 14 9 9 43 8 9 9 Disambiguation of Terms with Ido translations: 10 6 6 59 6 6 6 Disambiguation of Terms with Italian translations: 10 7 7 54 7 7 7
  5. To cease to be bent; to become straight.
    Sense id: en-unbend-en-verb-st-H5YAV
  6. To relax in exertion, attention, severity, or the like
    Sense id: en-unbend-en-verb-DBPgvcTb
  7. (archaic) to enjoy oneself; to become affable and free from formality Tags: archaic
    Sense id: en-unbend-en-verb-6NHp-fBp

Inflected forms

{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "unbenden"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English unbenden",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "un",
        "3": "bend"
      },
      "expansion": "un- + bend",
      "name": "prefix"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Middle English unbenden, equivalent to un- + bend.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "unbends",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "unbending",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "unbent",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "unbent",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "unbended",
      "tags": [
        "archaic",
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "unbended",
      "tags": [
        "archaic",
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "unbends",
        "2": "unbending",
        "3": "unbent",
        "past2": "unbended",
        "past2_qual": "archaic"
      },
      "expansion": "unbend (third-person singular simple present unbends, present participle unbending, simple past and past participle unbent or (archaic) unbended)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "to unbend a bow"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1982, Douglas Adams, Life, the Universe and Everything, page 61:",
          "text": "He leant tensely against the corridor wall and frowned like a man trying to unbend a corkscrew by telekinesis.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To remove a bend so as to make, or allow to become, straight."
      ],
      "id": "en-unbend-en-verb-R4YyMWkW",
      "links": [
        [
          "bend",
          "bend"
        ],
        [
          "straight",
          "straight"
        ]
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "83 3 4 3 1 2 2",
          "code": "bg",
          "lang": "Bulgarian",
          "roman": "izpravjam",
          "sense": "to remove a bend",
          "word": "изправям"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "83 3 4 3 1 2 2",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "to remove a bend",
          "word": "redresser"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "83 3 4 3 1 2 2",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "to remove a bend",
          "word": "se détendre"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "83 3 4 3 1 2 2",
          "code": "io",
          "lang": "Ido",
          "sense": "to remove a bend",
          "word": "laxeskar"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "83 3 4 3 1 2 2",
          "code": "io",
          "lang": "Ido",
          "sense": "to remove a bend",
          "word": "laxigar"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "83 3 4 3 1 2 2",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "to remove a bend",
          "word": "svergare"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "to unbend the mind from study or care"
        },
        {
          "ref": "c. 1606 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Macbeth”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene ii]:",
          "text": "You do unbend your noble strength.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To release (a load) from a strain or from exertion; to set at ease for a time; to relax."
      ],
      "id": "en-unbend-en-verb-JaCHotj8"
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Nautical",
          "orig": "en:Nautical",
          "parents": [
            "Transport",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To unfasten sails from the spars or stays to which are attached for use."
      ],
      "id": "en-unbend-en-verb-TxeTuUhi",
      "links": [
        [
          "nautical",
          "nautical"
        ],
        [
          "unfasten",
          "unfasten"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(nautical) To unfasten sails from the spars or stays to which are attached for use."
      ],
      "topics": [
        "nautical",
        "transport"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "9 5 6 71 3 3 4",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "16 13 15 21 11 11 14",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English terms prefixed with un-",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "9 7 8 52 8 8 8",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Entries with translation boxes",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "7 6 5 68 5 4 5",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "5 4 4 75 4 4 4",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "15 7 9 46 6 7 10",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Bulgarian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "14 9 9 43 8 9 9",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with French translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "10 6 6 59 6 6 6",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Ido translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "10 7 7 54 7 7 7",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Italian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "Unbend the rope.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To cast loose or untie"
      ],
      "id": "en-unbend-en-verb-lswZP7vj",
      "links": [
        [
          "untie",
          "untie"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "To cease to be bent; to become straight."
      ],
      "id": "en-unbend-en-verb-st-H5YAV"
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1918 September–November, Edgar Rice Burroughs, “The Land That Time Forgot”, in The Blue Book Magazine, Chicago, Ill.: Story-press Corp., →OCLC; republished as chapter VI, in Hugo Gernsback, editor, Amazing Stories, (please specify |part=I to III), New York, N.Y.: Experimenter Publishing, 1927, →OCLC:",
          "text": "He spent the afternoon shaping a swagger-stick from the branch of jarrah and talking with Miss La Rue, who had sufficiently unbent toward him to notice his existence.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To relax in exertion, attention, severity, or the like"
      ],
      "id": "en-unbend-en-verb-DBPgvcTb"
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "glosses": [
        "to enjoy oneself; to become affable and free from formality"
      ],
      "id": "en-unbend-en-verb-6NHp-fBp",
      "links": [
        [
          "enjoy",
          "enjoy"
        ],
        [
          "affable",
          "affable"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(archaic) to enjoy oneself; to become affable and free from formality"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "archaic"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ʌnˈbɛnd/"
    },
    {
      "audio": "en-us-unbend.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/c/c3/En-us-unbend.ogg/En-us-unbend.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c3/En-us-unbend.ogg"
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-unbend.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/a/ae/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-unbend.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-unbend.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/a/ae/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-unbend.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-unbend.wav.ogg"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɛnd"
    }
  ],
  "word": "unbend"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English ergative verbs",
    "English lemmas",
    "English terms derived from Middle English",
    "English terms inherited from Middle English",
    "English terms prefixed with un-",
    "English verbs",
    "Entries with translation boxes",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Rhymes:English/ɛnd",
    "Rhymes:English/ɛnd/2 syllables",
    "Terms with Bulgarian translations",
    "Terms with French translations",
    "Terms with Ido translations",
    "Terms with Italian translations"
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "unbenden"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English unbenden",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "un",
        "3": "bend"
      },
      "expansion": "un- + bend",
      "name": "prefix"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Middle English unbenden, equivalent to un- + bend.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "unbends",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "unbending",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "unbent",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "unbent",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "unbended",
      "tags": [
        "archaic",
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "unbended",
      "tags": [
        "archaic",
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "unbends",
        "2": "unbending",
        "3": "unbent",
        "past2": "unbended",
        "past2_qual": "archaic"
      },
      "expansion": "unbend (third-person singular simple present unbends, present participle unbending, simple past and past participle unbent or (archaic) unbended)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "to unbend a bow"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1982, Douglas Adams, Life, the Universe and Everything, page 61:",
          "text": "He leant tensely against the corridor wall and frowned like a man trying to unbend a corkscrew by telekinesis.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To remove a bend so as to make, or allow to become, straight."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "bend",
          "bend"
        ],
        [
          "straight",
          "straight"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "to unbend the mind from study or care"
        },
        {
          "ref": "c. 1606 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Macbeth”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene ii]:",
          "text": "You do unbend your noble strength.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To release (a load) from a strain or from exertion; to set at ease for a time; to relax."
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "en:Nautical"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To unfasten sails from the spars or stays to which are attached for use."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "nautical",
          "nautical"
        ],
        [
          "unfasten",
          "unfasten"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(nautical) To unfasten sails from the spars or stays to which are attached for use."
      ],
      "topics": [
        "nautical",
        "transport"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with usage examples"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "Unbend the rope.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To cast loose or untie"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "untie",
          "untie"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "To cease to be bent; to become straight."
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1918 September–November, Edgar Rice Burroughs, “The Land That Time Forgot”, in The Blue Book Magazine, Chicago, Ill.: Story-press Corp., →OCLC; republished as chapter VI, in Hugo Gernsback, editor, Amazing Stories, (please specify |part=I to III), New York, N.Y.: Experimenter Publishing, 1927, →OCLC:",
          "text": "He spent the afternoon shaping a swagger-stick from the branch of jarrah and talking with Miss La Rue, who had sufficiently unbent toward him to notice his existence.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To relax in exertion, attention, severity, or the like"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with archaic senses"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "to enjoy oneself; to become affable and free from formality"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "enjoy",
          "enjoy"
        ],
        [
          "affable",
          "affable"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(archaic) to enjoy oneself; to become affable and free from formality"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "archaic"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ʌnˈbɛnd/"
    },
    {
      "audio": "en-us-unbend.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/c/c3/En-us-unbend.ogg/En-us-unbend.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c3/En-us-unbend.ogg"
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-unbend.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/a/ae/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-unbend.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-unbend.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/a/ae/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-unbend.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-unbend.wav.ogg"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɛnd"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "bg",
      "lang": "Bulgarian",
      "roman": "izpravjam",
      "sense": "to remove a bend",
      "word": "изправям"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "to remove a bend",
      "word": "redresser"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "to remove a bend",
      "word": "se détendre"
    },
    {
      "code": "io",
      "lang": "Ido",
      "sense": "to remove a bend",
      "word": "laxeskar"
    },
    {
      "code": "io",
      "lang": "Ido",
      "sense": "to remove a bend",
      "word": "laxigar"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "to remove a bend",
      "word": "svergare"
    }
  ],
  "word": "unbend"
}

Download raw JSONL data for unbend meaning in English (5.2kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2025-03-26 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2025-03-21 using wiktextract (fef8596 and 633533e). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.