Meaning & use
resistant
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Meanings
adjectivecomparable
Not damaged or affected by something such as heat, water, disease or a drug.
Grammar: Followed by 'to' for what is withstood: resistant to rust. Also forms compounds: water-resistant.
Patterns
- resistant to something
This coat is resistant to rain and wind.
Some bacteria have become resistant to common antibiotics.
The new wheat variety is resistant to drought.
adjectivecomparable
Unwilling to accept or go along with a change, idea or request.
Grammar: Often followed by 'to' and a noun: resistant to change; describes people or groups.
Patterns
- resistant to something
- be resistant to doing something
Many older workers were resistant to the new software.
He was resistant to the idea of moving abroad.
The committee remained resistant despite the evidence.
Word forms
| comparative | more resistant |
|---|---|
| superlative | most resistant |
Common combinations
- resistant to change
- Some managers are resistant to change.
- heat-resistant
- The dish is heat-resistant, so you can put it in the oven.
- drug-resistant
- Doctors worry about drug-resistant infections.
- water-resistant
- The watch is water-resistant down to fifty meters.
- highly resistant
- The plant is highly resistant to frost.
Synonyms and how they differ
- immune
- Immune means not affected at all, usually by a disease, while resistant means able to withstand but not always completely.
- proof
- Proof is used as a suffix (waterproof) and means completely protected, whereas resistant suggests strong but limited protection.
- opposed
- Opposed means actively against something, while resistant can simply mean reluctant to accept it.
- impervious
- Impervious is more formal and means that nothing can pass through or affect it at all.
Opposites
Word family
- resist verb
- to fight against or not be affected by something
- resistance noun
- the ability to withstand something, or refusal to accept it
- resistible adjective
- able to be resisted
- irresistible adjective
- too attractive to resist
- resistor noun
- an electrical part that limits current
Commonly confused: resistant or resilient?
resistant vs resilient
Resilient means able to recover quickly after trouble, while resistant means able to withstand something without being harmed.
Practice
The new tiles are ___ to scratches, so they will stay smooth.
Choose one answer.
The adjective resistant is followed by 'to'. The other forms are a participle, a noun and a verb, so they do not fit grammatically.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “resistant”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.