resilient
American
adjective
-
(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.
Experience and big paydays have created a more resilient tanker fleet.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026
Studies have shown that trans kids are consistent and resilient about their gender identity.
From Slate ● Oct. 21, 2026
What surprised me most was how resourceful and resilient people have been in meeting economic challenges, even while cutting back on spending for extras.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 20, 2026
Still, in contrast to a weak performance in the trade of goods, the WTO said it expects European services trade to remain resilient this year.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
Sour milk cannot be made unsour, but the three Incorrigible children were clearly made of different and more resilient stuff, and for some reason this made her feel deeply proud of them.
From "The Unseen Guest" by Maryrose Wood
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
