Your Smart Vocabulary Companion

Etymology

From Latin "resiliens," present participle of "resilire" meaning "to leap back, rebound," from "re-" (back) + "salire" (to jump, leap). The psychological meaning emerged in the mid-20th century.

Usage Examples

1. "The community showed remarkable resilience after the natural disaster, rebuilding stronger than before."

2. "Children often display incredible resilience when faced with challenges."

3. "The company's resilience during economic downturns impressed investors."

Synonyms

• Toughness
• Adaptability
• Fortitude
• Endurance
• Flexibility

Antonyms

• Fragility
• Weakness
• Vulnerability

Fun Facts

• In physics and engineering, resilience refers to a material's ability to absorb energy when deformed and release it upon unloading.
• The field of positive psychology has extensively studied human resilience and identified factors that help people bounce back from adversity.
• The Japanese art of Kintsugi (repairing broken pottery with gold) is often used as a metaphor for resilience - becoming stronger and more beautiful at the broken places.

Word Family

• Resilient (adjective): Able to withstand or recover quickly from difficult conditions
• Resiliency (noun): Alternative form of resilience