resist
to withstand, strive against, or oppose: to resist infection; to resist temptation.
to withstand the action or effect of: to resist spoilage.
to refrain or abstain from, especially with difficulty or reluctance: They couldn't resist the chocolates.
to make a stand or make efforts in opposition; act in opposition; offer resistance.
a substance that prevents or inhibits some effect from taking place, as a coating on a surface of a metallic printing plate that prevents or inhibits corrosion of the metal by acid.
Textiles. a chemically inert substance used in resist printing.
Origin of resist
1synonym study For resist
Other words for resist
Other words from resist
- re·sist·er, noun
- re·sist·ing·ly, adverb
- in·ter·re·sist, verb
- non·re·sist·ing, adjective
- o·ver·re·sist, verb
- qua·si-re·sist·ed, adjective
- un·re·sist·ed, adjective
- un·re·sist·ing, adjective
Words that may be confused with resist
- resister , resistor
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use resist in a sentence
I resisted it, though I was immediately told by someone in the group that the author reminded him of me.
Daphne Merkin on Lena Dunham, Book Criticism, and Self-Examination | Mindy Farabee | December 26, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTWhen two NYPD lieutenants intervened, police say Linsker put the trash can down but resisted arrest.
The High-Priced Union Rep Charged With Attacking a Cop | Jacob Siegel | December 19, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTIt seems that the deputies asked him to leave, but Saylor insisted on staying, and perhaps physically resisted them.
How the U.S. Justice System Screws Prisoners with Disabilities | Elizabeth Picciuto | December 16, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTAnd charters have repeatedly resisted attempts to make them transparent.
Hunger Games Comes to New York State’s Public Schools | Zephyr Teachout | November 26, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTSen. Rand Paul, however, resisted gushing--in keeping with his contrarian brand.
Kissy-Face The Nation: Washington’s Power Elite Smooch Bob Schieffer | Lloyd Grove | November 18, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Last night I saw Jean Baptiste lying prone upon the floor, and knew that she had beaten him down to it, and he had not resisted.
The Homesteader | Oscar MicheauxThe temptation to pour his financial troubles into the sympathetic ears of these two dear women he resisted.
The Joyous Adventures of Aristide Pujol | William J. LockeHe grasped Lola and drew her down on to the arm of the chair by sheer force, for she resisted savagely.
Dope | Sax RohmerAnd the other kingdoms, and islands, that at any time had resisted them, they had destroyed and brought under their power.
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version | VariousThe author has avoided technicalities, and has also resisted the temptation of the psychologist to indulge in metaphysics.
Man And His Ancestor | Charles Morris
British Dictionary definitions for resist
/ (rɪˈzɪst) /
to stand firm (against); not yield (to); fight (against)
(tr) to withstand the deleterious action of; be proof against: to resist corrosion
(tr) to oppose; refuse to accept or comply with: to resist arrest; to resist the introduction of new technology
(tr) to refrain from, esp in spite of temptation (esp in the phrases cannot or could not resist (something))
a substance used to protect something, esp a coating that prevents corrosion
Origin of resist
1Derived forms of resist
- resister, noun
- resistible, adjective
- resistibility, noun
- resistibly, adverb
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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