resilient
Americanadjective
-
(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
Derived 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.
She described him as a "shy, smart and resilient young man" who was "deeply adored and had a bright future waiting for him".
From BBC • Jun. 13, 2026
The researchers were particularly surprised by how resilient the system proved to be.
From Science Daily • Jun. 12, 2026
“While some data has shown softer international fares year over year, we’re seeing pricing remain relatively resilient thanks to strong travel demand,” Frank Holmes, U.S.
From Barron's • Jun. 11, 2026
Reserve buffers for oil have been “more resilient, tanker traffic has found ‘goat paths’ along the Omani coastline, and post-COVID demand behavior has changed more than the market initially understood,” he said.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 11, 2026
Inured by the confirmation of his own inconsequence, he became resilient and truly indifferent.
From "The God of Small Things" by Arundhati Roy
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.
