resort
Americanverb (used without object)
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to have recourse for use, help, or accomplishing something, often as a final available option or resource.
to resort to war.
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to go, especially frequently or customarily.
a beach to which many people resort.
noun
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a place to which people frequently or generally go for relaxation or pleasure, especially one providing rest and recreation facilities for vacationers.
a popular winter resort.
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habitual or general going, as to a place or person.
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use of or appeal to some person or thing for aid, satisfaction, service, etc.; resource.
to have resort to force;
a court of last resort.
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a person or thing resorted to for aid, satisfaction, service, etc.
verb
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(usually foll by to) to have recourse (to) for help, use, etc
to resort to violence
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to go, esp often or habitually; repair
to resort to the beach
noun
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a place to which many people go for recreation, rest, etc
a holiday resort
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the use of something as a means, help, or recourse
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the act of going to a place, esp for recreation, rest, etc
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the last possible course of action open to one
Other Word Forms
- preresort verb (used without object)
- resorter noun
Etymology
Origin of resort
First recorded in 1325–75; (for the verb) Middle English resorten, from Old French resortir, from re- re- + sortir “to go out, leave, escape” (perhaps ultimately from Latin sortīrī “to draw lots”); noun derivative of the verb
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.
The event is leading up to a G7 summit in the French Alpine lakeside resort of Evian in June to be chaired by President Emmanuel Macron.
From Barron's • Mar. 27, 2026
The Victorian-era town with dramatic cliffs is on the windswept northeast coast and was developed as a resort by a Quaker mining and railroad magnate in 1861.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 25, 2026
As such, “Agridulce” doesn’t shy away from the political tensions of the beachside resort.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 25, 2026
A last resort would be a conservatorship, which is an involuntary process and takes place when a person is unable to take care of their finances.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 23, 2026
There could be no need to resort to goat’s blood to soften the diamond.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
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.
