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
Derived Forms
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.
Although he has resigned as joint chairman, he remains the Championship club's largest single shareholder with a 38.8% stake in the business.
From BBC • Jun. 8, 2026
The five-member panel is currently down two members, after one commissioner, Fabian Garcia, went on paternal leave and another, Teresa Sánchez-Gordon, recently resigned.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 6, 2026
Genevieve McDonald, a former political director for Platner’s campaign who resigned after his Reddit posts became public, said the campaign failed to conduct an adequate vetting operation.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 6, 2026
He resigned in April 1955, at the age of 80.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 5, 2026
As if he’s already resigned himself to death.
From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman
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.
