resilient

American  

[ri-zil-yuhnt, -zil-ee-uhnt] / rɪˈzɪl yənt, -ˈzɪl i ənt /

adjective

1. springing back; rebounding.

   Synonyms:

   springy, flexible, elastic

2. returning to the original form or position after being bent, compressed, or stretched.

3. recovering readily from illness, depression, adversity, or the like; buoyant.

---

resilient British  

/ rɪˈzɪlɪənt /

adjective

1. (of an object or material) capable of regaining its original shape or position after bending, stretching, compression, or other deformation; elastic

2. (of a person) recovering easily and quickly from shock, illness, hardship, etc; irrepressible

---

Other Word Forms

• nonresilient adjective
• nonresiliently adverb
• resiliently adverb
• unresilient adjective
• unresiliently adverb

Etymology

Origin of resilient

First recorded in 1635–45; from Latin resilient-, stem of resiliēns, present participle of resilīre “to spring back,” equivalent to re- re- + -sil-, combining form of salīre “to leap, jump”; salient

Example Sentences

Instead, he wanted to give them a "sense of this world, which is a difficult world", but added that though things were hard the Senegalese were resilient.

From BBC • Apr. 4, 2026

Such tendentious reasoning weakens what is otherwise a powerful record of an institution that was more dynamic and resilient than history suggests.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

Much of March's recovery was fueled by health care jobs, which have remained resilient even as labor demand has dropped in other sectors.

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

“Amanda was so resilient on the journey. She just never lost confidence in the project.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 2, 2026

Either that, or the spirits that possessed the boys had also made them extra resilient.

From "The Mark of Athena" by Rick Riordan

Related Words

• buoyant
• strong
• supple
• tough
• volatile