Resist

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -ɪst

Origin

From Anglo-Norman resistre, Middle French resister, and their source, Latin resistere, from re- + sistere ("cause to stand").

Full definition of resist

Verb

1. (transitive) To attempt to counter the actions or effects of.
• 2013-06-28, Joris Luyendijk, Our banks are out of control, Seeing the British establishment struggle with the financial sector is like watching an alcoholic who still resists the idea that something drastic needs to happen for him to turn his life around.
2. (transitive) To withstand the actions of.
• 1918, W. B. Maxwell, The Mirror and the Lamp Chapter 16, The preposterous altruism too!...Resist not evil. It is an insane immolation of self—as bad intrinsically as fakirs stabbing themselves or anchorites warping their spines in caves scarcely large enough for a fair-sized dog.
3. (intransitive) To oppose.
4. (transitive, obsolete) To be distasteful to.
• 1608, William Shakespeare, , II. iii. 29:These cates resist me,

Usage notes

This is a catenative verb that takes the gerund (-ing). See

Derived terms

• resistance

Synonyms

• gainstay
• oppose
• withset

Antonyms

• obey
• submit

Derived terms

Noun

1. A protective coating or covering. Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., 1989.

Anagrams

• resits, risest, Sister, sister