Meanings
adjectiveresilient (comparative more resilient, superlative most resilient)
comparative more resilient · superlative most resilient
- Returning quickly to original shape after force is applied; elastic. (of objects or substances)
- materials scienceHaving the ability to absorb energy when deformed.
- Returning quickly to normal after damaging events or conditions. (of systems, organisms or people)
He’s resilient, and strong, but sometimes tonight, here, the weight of what he’s saying makes him stop, pause as if lost.
1994, Michael Grumley, The Last Diary- human sciencesHaving the ability to recover from mental illness, trauma, etc.; having resilience.
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiverecovering readily from adversity, depression, or the like
Similar
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latinresiliō
- Latinresiliēns
- Englishresilient
From Latin resiliēns, resilientem (“rebounding”, present active participle of resiliō) (whence -ent), from saliō (“leap, jump”).
More words from Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans veerkragtig, veerkragtig
- veerkragtigable to withstand force without cracking; elastic
- veerkragtigreturning quickly to normal after damaging events or conditions; psychologically or structurally tough
Arabic مَرِن
- مَرِن (marin)able to withstand force without cracking; elastic
Bulgarian гъвкав, еластичен
- гъвкав (găvkav)able to withstand force without cracking; elastic
- еластичен (elastičen)able to withstand force without cracking; elastic
Catalan elàstic, resistent
- elàsticable to withstand force without cracking; elastic
- resistentable to withstand force without cracking; elastic
Danish modstandsdygtig
- modstandsdygtigreturning quickly to normal after damaging events or conditions; psychologically or structurally tough
Dutch veerkrachtig, flexibel
- veerkrachtigable to withstand force without cracking; elastic
- flexibelable to withstand force without cracking; elastic
- weerbaarreturning quickly to normal after damaging events or conditions; psychologically or structurally tough
Esperanto fortika, rezistema
- fortikaable to withstand force without cracking; elastic
- rezistemareturning quickly to normal after damaging events or conditions; psychologically or structurally tough
Finnish joustava, sitkeä
- joustavaable to withstand force without cracking; elastic
- sitkeäable to withstand force without cracking; elastic
- tukevaable to withstand force without cracking; elastic
French flexible, résistant
- flexibleable to withstand force without cracking; elastic
- résistantable to withstand force without cracking; elastic
- résilientable to withstand force without cracking; elastic
- résilientreturning quickly to normal after damaging events or conditions; psychologically or structurally tough
German elastisch, federnd
- elastischable to withstand force without cracking; elastic
- federndable to withstand force without cracking; elastic
- spannkräftigable to withstand force without cracking; elastic
- unverwüstlichable to withstand force without cracking; elastic
- belastbarable to withstand force without cracking; elastic
- resilientable to withstand force without cracking; elastic
- widerstandsfähigable to withstand force without cracking; elastic
- haltbarable to withstand force without cracking; elastic
- dauerhaftable to withstand force without cracking; elastic
- widerstandsfähigreturning quickly to normal after damaging events or conditions; psychologically or structurally tough
- resilientreturning quickly to normal after damaging events or conditions; psychologically or structurally tough
Greek ελαστικός, εύκαμπτος
- ελαστικός (elastikós)able to withstand force without cracking; elastic
- εύκαμπτος (éfkamptos)able to withstand force without cracking; elastic
- ανθεκτικός (anthektikós)able to withstand force without cracking; elastic
Hungarian rugalmas, ellenálló
- rugalmasable to withstand force without cracking; elastic
- ellenállóable to withstand force without cracking; elastic
- elasztikusable to withstand force without cracking; elastic
- ellenállóképesreturning quickly to normal after damaging events or conditions; psychologically or structurally tough
- ellenállóreturning quickly to normal after damaging events or conditions; psychologically or structurally tough
Italian elastico, flessibile
- elasticoable to withstand force without cracking; elastic
- flessibileable to withstand force without cracking; elastic
- resilienteable to withstand force without cracking; elastic
- resilientereturning quickly to normal after damaging events or conditions; psychologically or structurally tough
Malay daya bingkas
- daya bingkasreturning quickly to normal after damaging events or conditions; psychologically or structurally tough
Māori manawaroa
- manawaroaable to withstand force without cracking; elastic
Polish elastyczny
- elastycznyable to withstand force without cracking; elastic
Portuguese resiliente, elástico
- resilienteable to withstand force without cracking; elastic
- elásticoable to withstand force without cracking; elastic
Romanian rezilient
- rezilientreturning quickly to normal after damaging events or conditions; psychologically or structurally tough
Russian ги́бкий, эласти́чный
- ги́бкий (gíbkij)able to withstand force without cracking; elastic
- эласти́чный (elastíčnyj)able to withstand force without cracking; elastic
- упру́гий (uprúgij)able to withstand force without cracking; elastic
- упругий (uprugiy)returning quickly to normal after damaging events or conditions; psychologically or structurally tough
- устойчивый (ustoychivy)returning quickly to normal after damaging events or conditions; psychologically or structurally tough
Slovak odolný, pružný
- odolnýable to withstand force without cracking; elastic
- pružnýable to withstand force without cracking; elastic
- húževnatýable to withstand force without cracking; elastic
Spanish tenaz, resistente
- tenazable to withstand force without cracking; elastic
- resistenteable to withstand force without cracking; elastic
- resilienteable to withstand force without cracking; elastic
Swedish motståndskraftig
- motståndskraftigreturning quickly to normal after damaging events or conditions; psychologically or structurally tough
Turkish dirençli, elastik
- dirençliable to withstand force without cracking; elastic
- elastikable to withstand force without cracking; elastic
- esnekable to withstand force without cracking; elastic
- sağlamable to withstand force without cracking; elastic
Vietnamese đàn hồi
- đàn hồiable to withstand force without cracking; elastic
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
APA
resilient. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/resilient
MLA
“resilient.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/resilient. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “resilient,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/resilient.
Source: resilient on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.