Your Smart Vocabulary Companion

Etymology

From Latin "resilire" meaning "to leap back," from "re-" (back) + "salire" (to jump, leap). Originally used in physics to describe materials that return to their original form. Metaphorical use for psychological resilience emerged in the 20th century.

Usage Examples

1. "The community proved remarkably resilient, rebuilding stronger after the natural disaster."

2. "Children are often more resilient than adults give them credit for."

3. "The resilient material bounced back to its original shape despite repeated compression."

Synonyms

• Flexible
• Adaptable
• Tough
• Hardy
• Buoyant

Antonyms

• Fragile
• Brittle
• Weak
• Inflexible
• Vulnerable

Fun Facts

• Psychologists have identified "resilience factors" that help people bounce back from adversity, including strong relationships, problem-solving skills, and optimism.
• In materials science, resilience refers to a material's ability to absorb energy when deformed elastically and release that energy upon unloading.
• The concept of "urban resilience" has become crucial in city planning to prepare for climate change and disasters.

Word Family

• Resilience (noun): The capacity to recover quickly from difficulties
• Resiliently (adverb): In a resilient manner
• Resiliency (noun): Alternative form of resilience