resigned

adjective

re·​signed ri-ˈzīnd How to pronounce resigned (audio)
: feeling or showing acceptance that something unwanted or unpleasant will happen or cannot be changed
a resigned sigh
They had the resigned manners of long-term detainees.Jonathan Raban
often used with to
He was fifty-seven years old and resigned to the fact that the rest of his days would be spent in convenient bachelorhood …James A. Michener
I am not resigned to the shutting away of loving hearts in the cold ground.Edna St. Vincent Millay
… Mr. Ogata is resigned to his life rather than contented.James Sterngold
resignedly adverb
With a gleam in his eye and a twinkle in his lens, he seems to tell us sweetly, sadly, rather resignedly that a little absurdity, a bit of imbalance is about what we should expect from life. Vicki Goldberg

Examples of resigned in a Sentence

I am resigned to the fact that I'll never make the list of the 400 richest Americans
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Crowds gathering for the Royal Horticultural Society’s Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival on the sprawling palace grounds reached into backpacks for umbrellas with the resigned look of people attending a supremely English occasion designed to be held in sunshine. Sophie Elmhirst, The New Yorker, 17 Oct. 2024 The second-year Chicago Bears cornerback let out a resigned sigh and laugh. Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2024 There are the resigned glances of terminal patients in hospice. Joshua Rothkopf, Los Angeles Times, 29 June 2024 Those movies thrived on human absurdity, yet their characters spoke in a bored monotone, regarding the strange circumstances of their lives with resigned terror. David Sims, The Atlantic, 21 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for resigned 

Word History

First Known Use

1699, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of resigned was in 1699

Dictionary Entries Near resigned

Cite this Entry

“Resigned.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/resigned. Accessed 14 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

resigned

adjective
re·​signed
ri-ˈzīnd
: giving in patiently (as to loss, sorrow, or misfortune)
resignedly
-ˈzī-nəd-lē
adverb
resignedness
-ˈzī-nəd-nəs
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on resigned

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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