resilient
Americanadjective
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(of an object or material) capable of regaining its original shape or position after bending, stretching, compression, or other deformation; elastic
-
(of a person) recovering easily and quickly from shock, illness, hardship, etc; irrepressible
Other Word Forms
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”; see salient
Explanation
When something is strong and able to recover from damage quickly, call it resilient. If you're rough on your toys, the ones that don't break are resilient. Formed from the Latin verb resilire, "to leap back," a resilient person is able to recover from an illness or a bad experience quickly. Politicians who are resilient to media criticism do not let critical journalists affect their focus, performance, or relationship to their constituents. An object that is bent or stretched and returns to its original shape quickly is also resilient.
Vocabulary lists containing resilient
"A Sound of Thunder" by Ray Bradbury
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"All Summer in a Day" by Ray Bradbury
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Things Fall Apart
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"Launching and maintaining a brand takes tremendous tenacity. Even if you can afford to weather the tough years, you need to be resilient enough to withstand everything else that's part of owning a business."
From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026
Defence Minister Luke Pollard said the government was building a "more resilient, homegrown defence supply chain and ensuring our armed forces receive the pioneering equipment that can give them the edge on the battlefield".
From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026
And RBC’s Dave McKay said yesterday that Canada’s economy has remained resilient through recent shocks, while “increased foreign direct investment and new trade relationships add to our optimism.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
German consumer confidence picked up, with perceptions of the economy bolstered by resilient growth despite lingering inflation concerns due to geopolitical uncertainty.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026
That his daughter is so curious, so resilient.
From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
