resigned
Americanadjective
Usage
What does resigned mean? Resigned is an adjective that means having an accepting, unresisting attitude or in a state of submission. A person who is resigned is often in a state of realization that the negative situation that is happening to them will continue to happen and that they can’t do anything to stop it. The word is especially used in phrases like resigned to one’s fate or resigned to the fact that (something is happening). Resigned is also the past tense of the verb resign. Resign most commonly means to quit a job, but it can also mean to submit or yield. The noun form resignation can mean a state of submission or acquiescence, as in There is a sense of resignation in the room now that most of the votes are in and there doesn’t appear to be any path to victory. Example: Even if I ace the test, it won’t bring up my average enough, so I’m resigned to the fact that I’m going to fail the class.
Other Word Forms
- resignedly adverb
- resignedness noun
- self-resigned adjective
- unresigned adjective
Etymology
Origin of resigned
Explanation
When you sadly accept something that's disagreeable, you're resigned. You might give a resigned sigh as you wait in the cold for a bus that's late again. Being resigned means you've given up or surrendered to an unpleasant reality and the fact that you can't change it. While some kids cry when the babysitter tells them it's bedtime, others are resigned to brushing their teeth and putting on their pajamas. And though most people who live in cold climates are resigned to the frigid winter weather, there are always a few who escape to tropical beaches instead.
Vocabulary lists containing resigned
Words to Capture Tone, List 2
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List 8
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The Cat I Never Named
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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.
Senior NFL reporter Dianna Russini resigned from the Athletic after photos of her with the New England Patriots coach, Mike Vrabel, led to an inquiry.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026
Luna, who planned to lead the charge to expel Swalwell before he resigned, alleged that young staffers would talk among one another about Swalwell’s conduct.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 14, 2026
The company tapped Napoli to lead Lucid 14 months after Peter Rawlinson, the company’s former CEO, resigned.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 14, 2026
Today, nearly all of those people are gone, having resigned, been fired or been reassigned, particularly in the departments of Justice and Homeland Security.
From Salon • Apr. 14, 2026
She wrapped up the family’s affairs, readied the children, and boarded the Illinois Central, resigned to whatever Chicago might bring.
From "A Few Red Drops: The Chicago Race Riot of 1919" by Claire Hartfield
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.
