resilience
6 synonyms and 2 antonyms for resilience, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — The ability to recover quickly from difficulty.
Synonyms
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
Synonyms by Meaning
1. noun
The ability to recover quickly from difficulty.
“Her resilience after the accident amazed everyone who knew her.”
Opposites
2. noun
The ability of a material to bounce back into shape after being bent or stretched.
“Rubber is prized for its resilience.”
Opposites
How to use resilience
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
build resilience
show resilience
emotional resilience
Etymology
From Latin resilire, "to spring back."
Full origin of resilience →Frequently asked questions
What does “resilience” mean?
The word “resilience” means the ability to recover quickly from difficulty. In plain terms, the ability to bounce back from setbacks, whether emotional or physical.
How do you pronounce “resilience”?
“Resilience” is pronounced rih-ZIHL-ih-uhns (/ɹɪˈzɪl.jəns/ in IPA).
How do you use “resilience” in a sentence?
Here is “resilience” used in a sentence: “Her resilience after the accident amazed everyone who knew her.”
What part of speech is “resilience”?
“Resilience” is a noun.
Where does the word “resilience” come from?
The word “resilience” comes from Latin. From Latin resilire, "to spring back.".
Is “resilience” a common word?
“Resilience” is an uncommon word in modern English, usually learned at around the C1 level.
How many meanings does “resilience” have?
“Resilience” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: the ability to recover quickly from difficulty.
What is the difference between resilience and toughness?
Resilience specifically refers to the ability to recover quickly from difficulty, emphasizing a return to a good state after setback. Toughness suggests an ability to endure hardship or withstand damage in the first place, without necessarily implying a quick recovery afterward.
What is the difference between resilience and resistance?
Resilience is about bouncing back after being affected by difficulty or, in materials, after being bent or stretched. Resistance is about withstanding a force or influence in the first place, often preventing damage from occurring rather than recovering from it afterward.
How is resilience used differently in psychology and materials science?
In psychology and everyday use, resilience describes a person's ability to recover quickly from difficulty, such as stress or setbacks. In materials science, resilience describes a material's ability to bounce back into its original shape after being bent or stretched, a more literal, physical sense of the same underlying idea.
