resistant

1 of 2

adjective

re·​sis·​tant ri-ˈzi-stənt 

: giving, capable of, or exhibiting resistance

—often used in combination

wrinkle-resistant clothes

a drug-resistant strain of virus

resistant

2 of 2

noun

: one that resists : resister

Examples of resistant in a Sentence

Adjective

These plants are resistant to cold temperatures.

He became resistant to the medication.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Younger consumers who tend to be renters are finding landlords increasingly resistant to allowing pets. —Greg Petro, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2025

Just as the Catholic Church would hold a perverse appeal to the decadents of the period, eventually drawing in figures as seemingly resistant as Oscar Wilde and Aubrey Beardsley, anarchism held out a similar enchantment at the other end of the political spectrum. —Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 24 Feb. 2025

Scientists found that polar bear fur was freeze resistant because of a mix of what substance in their fur? —CNN, 13 Feb. 2025

Good bacteria feed on resistant starch, turning it into gut-healthy short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). —Merve Ceylan, Health, 11 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1548, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing resistant

• heat resistant
• vancomycin-resistant enterococcus
• water-resistant

Rhymes for resistant

• assistant
• consistent
• existent
• insistent
• persistent
• subsistent
• coexistent
• equidistant
• inconsistent
• nonexistent
• preexistent
• distant

Kids Definition

resistant

adjective

re·​sis·​tant

ri-ˈzis-tənt

: giving, capable of, or showing resistance

—often used in combination

wrinkle-resistant clothes

Medical Definition

resistant

adjective

re·​sis·​tant

variants also resistent

-tənt 

: giving, capable of, or exhibiting resistance

—often used in combination

a drug-resistant strain of virus