resistant
Americanadjective
noun
adjective
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characterized by or showing resistance; resisting
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-
impervious to the action of corrosive substances, heat, etc
a highly resistant surface
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( in combination )
a heat-resistant surface
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noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of resistant
1590–1600; < Middle French resistant, present participle of resister to resist; see -ant
Explanation
Being resistant means to be immune or impervious to something. A vest that's resistant to bullets is bullet-proof. Anything resistant has a certain power — specifically, the power to resist or fight off — something else. This word is often used medically, like when someone is resistant to a virus: that means they can't get the virus. You can also be resistant to someone's jokes, meaning they can't make you laugh. A raincoat should be resistant to water. If it's not resistant, that's a pretty bad raincoat. All resistant things are like a shield that something can't get through.
Vocabulary lists containing resistant
"Harbor Me" by Jacqueline Woodson
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Content Summary 4.2: Columbian Exchange and Atlantic Slavery
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"Roller Girl" by Victoria Jamieson
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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.
“So the more we plant native trees, the more we’ll be resistant to things like the events of 2025,” he told attendees.
From Los Angeles Times • May 23, 2026
"I'm really resistant to the idea of writing a trauma novel. I want something that is fun and entertaining."
From BBC • May 22, 2026
Carpenter offers many advantages to investors seeking companies whose competitive barriers to entry are as resistant as its nickel-based alloy Pyromet 41 External link —which withstands temperatures as high as 1500 degrees Fahrenheit.
From Barron's • May 21, 2026
Newer seawater electrolysis research continues to focus on the same bottlenecks: corrosion resistant materials, long lasting electrodes, chlorine suppression, and system designs that can survive real seawater rather than ideal laboratory solutions.
From Science Daily • May 10, 2026
Second, cells often behave differently, even if they’re all from the same sample, which means some grow faster than others, some produce more poliovirus, and some are resistant to certain antibiotics.
From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot
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.
