resilient
rih-ZIHL-yuhnt
Resilient (adj) means Able to recover quickly from difficulty, damage, or hardship. Example: “Children are often remarkably resilient after a big change.”
adj
1
Able to recover quickly from difficulty, damage, or hardship.
"Children are often remarkably resilient after a big change."
"The local economy proved resilient during the downturn."
2
Springing back into shape after being bent, stretched, or compressed.
"The material is resilient enough to survive repeated impacts."
How to use resilient
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishAble to bounce back — whether that's a person after hardship or a material after being deformed.
Common pairings
a resilient economy
emotionally resilient
resilient materials
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Word forms
- Comparative
- more resilient
- Superlative
- most resilient
Fill the gap
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Children are often remarkably _____ after a big change.
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin resiliens, "rebounding", present participle of resilio.
Related words
Rhymes for resilient
See all rhymes for resilient →Frequently asked questions
What does “resilient” mean?
The word “resilient” means able to recover quickly from difficulty, damage, or hardship. In plain terms, able to bounce back — whether that's a person after hardship or a material after being deformed.
How do you pronounce “resilient”?
“Resilient” is pronounced rih-ZIHL-yuhnt (/ɹɪˈzɪl.jənt/ in IPA).
How do you use “resilient” in a sentence?
Here is “resilient” used in a sentence: “Children are often remarkably resilient after a big change.”
What is another word for “resilient”?
Words with a similar meaning to “resilient” include bendable, flexible and strong.
What is the opposite of “resilient”?
The opposite of “resilient” — its antonyms — are brittle and fragile.
What part of speech is “resilient”?
“Resilient” is an adjective.
Where does the word “resilient” come from?
The word “resilient” comes from Latin. Borrowed from Latin resiliens, "rebounding", present participle of resilio.
Is “resilient” a common word?
“Resilient” is an uncommon word in modern English, usually learned at around the C1 level.
