resile

[ri-zahyl]

verb (used without object)

resiled, resiling 

1. to spring back; rebound; resume the original form or position, as an elastic body.

2. to shrink back; recoil.

resile

/ rɪˈzaɪl /

verb

1. (intr) to spring or shrink back; recoil or resume original shape

Other Word Forms

• resilement noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of resile¹

1520–30; < Middle French resilir < Latin resilīre to spring back; resilient

Word History and Origins

Origin of resile¹

C16: from Old French resilir , from Latin resilīre to jump back, from _re- + salīre to jump

Example Sentences

"She does not resile from anything she said then. This email was sent in the context of advice the Duchess was given to try to assuage Epstein and his threats."

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"It was our duty to stabilise the economy and to fill in that £22bn black hole. I'm not going to resile from that."

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Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall has said welfare changes are "never easy and rarely popular, perhaps especially for Labour governments" but that she would not "resile" from difficult decisions.

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"Though ministers need not resile from previously stated views when directly asked about them, they should exercise discretion and should not take part in the public debate," he said.

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But he added he did not "resile from my strongly held views" on the conflict.

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Related Words

• backfire 
• balk 
• blanch 
• blink 
• cringe 
• demur 
• flinch 
• hesitate 
• reel 
• shudder 
• tremble 
• turn away 
• waver 
• wince