resigned

[ ri-zahynd ]

adjective

1. submissive or acquiescent.
2. characterized by or indicative of resignation.

resigned

/ rɪˈzaɪnd; rɪˈzaɪnɪdlɪ /

adjective

1. characteristic of or proceeding from an attitude of resignation; acquiescent or submissive

Derived Forms

• resignedly, adverb
• reˈsignedness, noun

Other Words From

• re·sign·ed·ly [ri-, zahy, -nid-lee], adverb
• re·sign·ed·ness noun
• self-re·signed adjective
• un·re·signed adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of resigned¹

First recorded in 1645–55; resign + -ed ²

Example Sentences

It can be most acutely felt in his resigned belief that we may stand little chance of counteracting the deep societal schisms that have stacked along political, regional and racial lines.

From Voice of San Diego

Normally, 434 members (minus Michael Grimm who resigned) would vote for Speaker.

From The Daily Beast

President Rhee resigned soon thereafter and was secreted out of the country to Hawaii by the American CIA.

From The Daily Beast

It's clear he doesn't like my compromise, but he seems resigned.

From The Daily Beast

Once she lost the chairmanship of her Kadima party, Tzipi Livni resigned and formed a new party—Hatenua.

From The Daily Beast

Brooks resigned his seat but was immediately returned by his district in a special election.

From The Daily Beast

There were other children beside, and two nurse-maids followed, looking disagreeable and resigned.

From Project Gutenberg

At the end of the first year, however, she resigned this privilege because she did not wish to accept the conditions of the gift.

From Project Gutenberg

The soldier lackey resigned the reins to Rabecque, and requested Monsieur de Garnache to follow him.

From Project Gutenberg

It was resigned to the Spanish governmental system of spoliation, and no one thought of reforms.

From Project Gutenberg

The Marshal proved how often a strong soldier may be a weak politician, and in 1834 he resigned office.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• satisfied

More About Resigned

What does resigned mean?

Resigned is an adjective that means having an accepting, unresisting attitude or in a state of submission.

A person who is resigned is often in a state of realization that the negative situation that is happening to them will continue to happen and that they can’t do anything to stop it.

The word is especially used in phrases like resigned to one’s fate or resigned to the fact that (something is happening).

Resigned is also the past tense of the verb resign. Resign most commonly means to quit a job, but it can also mean to submit or yield. The noun form resignation can mean a state of submission or acquiescence, as in There is a sense of resignation in the room now that most of the votes are in and there doesn’t appear to be any path to victory. 

Example: Even if I ace the test, it won’t bring up my average enough, so I’m resigned to the fact that I’m going to fail the class.

Where does resigned come from?

The first records of the verb resign come from the 1300s, and resigned has been used as an adjective since at least the 1500s. It is ultimately derived from the Latin verb resignāre, meaning “give up” or “unseal, invalidate, destroy.”

When a person is described as resigned, it typically implies that they recognize that there is nothing left to be done to improve the situation. This doesn’t necessarily mean that they have given up, but it can. When used as an adjective, the word defeated has a similar meaning. A person who appears resigned or defeated looks like they know they’ve lost. The phrase resigned to one’s fate means a person has accepted the inevitable.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to resigned?

• resign (verb)
• resignedly (adverb)
• resignedness (noun)
• self-resigned (adjective)
• unresigned (adjective)

What are some synonyms for resigned?

• acquiescent
• submissive

What are some words that share a root or word element with resigned? 

• resignation
• signature

 

 

What are some words that often get used in discussing resigned?

• fate
• fact
• lose
• defeated
• appear
• inevitable

How is resigned used in real life?

Resigned is always used in the context of negative situations—people are resigned to failure or defeat, not success or victory.

European Officials See Slow Growth: European economic officials appeared resigned to years of slow growth, des… http://t.co/1o4Pz6Lq0U

— Patriotic Geek (@PatrioticGeek) April 22, 2013

I'm resigned to the fact this is gonna be one those rainy summers in ATL that comes every couple years.

— #𝙒𝙚𝙖𝙧𝘼𝙈𝙖𝙨𝙠 𝙁𝙤𝙧 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝘾𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚 ⭐ (@FTCUTD) June 15, 2020

This series (or Game 4 in particular) should NOT be a referendum on the MJ vs. LBJ debate. "Resigned to your fate and the unstoppable will of the universe" is not the same as "giving up."

— Gerald Bourguet (@GeraldBourguet) June 9, 2018

 

 

Try using resigned!

Is resigned used correctly in the following sentence?

She’s not a quitter—she’s just resigned to her fate.