Adjacent Words

Resist definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

RESIST, v.t. rezist'. [L. resisto; re and sisto, to stand.]
1. Literally, to stand against; to withstand; hence, to act in opposition, or to oppose. a dam or mound resists a current of water passively, by standing unmoved and interrupting its progress. An army resists the progress of an enemy actively, by encountering and defeating it. We resist measures by argument or remonstrance.
Why doth he yet find fault? for who hath resisted his will? Romans 9.
2. To strive against; to endeavor to counteract, defeat or frustrate.
Ye do always resist the Holy Spirit. Acts 7.
3. To baffle; to disappoint.
God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble. James 4.
RESIST', v.i. to make opposition.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

v
1: elude, especially in a baffling way; "This behavior defies explanation" [syn: defy, resist, refuse] [ant: apply, lend oneself]
2: stand up or offer resistance to somebody or something [syn: resist, hold out, withstand, stand firm] [ant: give up, surrender]
3: express opposition through action or words; "dissent to the laws of the country" [syn: protest, resist, dissent]
4: withstand the force of something; "The trees resisted her"; "stand the test of time"; "The mountain climbers had to fend against the ice and snow" [syn: resist, stand, fend]
5: resist immunologically the introduction of some foreign tissue or organ; "His body rejected the liver of the donor" [syn: resist, reject, refuse]
6: refuse to comply [syn: resist, balk, baulk, jib]

Merriam Webster's

I. verb Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French or Latin; Anglo-French resister, from Latin resistere, from re- + sistere to take a stand; akin to Latin stare to stand — more at stand Date: 14th century intransitive verb to exert force in opposition transitive verb 1. to exert oneself so as to counteract or defeat <he resisted temptation> 2. to withstand the force or effect of <material that resists heat> Synonyms: see oppose II. noun Usage: often attributive Date: 1836 something (as a coating) that protects against a chemical, electrical, or physical action

Oxford Reference Dictionary

v. & n. --v. 1 tr. withstand the action or effect of; repel. 2 tr. stop the course or progress of; prevent from reaching, penetrating, etc. 3 tr. abstain from (pleasure, temptation, etc.). 4 tr. strive against; try to impede; refuse to comply with (resist arrest). 5 intr. offer opposition; refuse to comply. --n. a protective coating of a resistant substance, applied esp. to parts of calico that are not to take dye or to parts of pottery that are not to take glaze or lustre. Phrases and idioms: cannot (or could not etc.) resist 1 (foll. by verbal noun) feel obliged or strongly inclined to (cannot resist teasing me about it). 2 is certain to be amused, attracted, etc., by (can't resist children's clothes). Derivatives: resistant adj. resister n. resistible adj. resistibility n. Etymology: ME f. OF resister or L resistere (as RE-, sistere stop, redupl. of stare stand)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Resist Re*sist", v. i. To make opposition. --Shak.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Resist Re*sist", n. (Calico Printing) A substance used to prevent a color or mordant from fixing on those parts to which it has been applied, either by acting machanically in preventing the color, etc., from reaching the cloth, or chemically in changing the color so as to render it incapable of fixing itself in the fibers.. The pastes prepared for this purpose are called resist pastes. --F. C. Calvert.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Resist Re*sist" (r?-z?st"), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Resisted; p. pr. & vb. n. Resisting.] [F. r['e]sister, L. resistere, pref. re- re- + sistere to stand, cause to stand, v. causative of stare to stand. See Stand.] 1. To stand against; to withstand; to obstruct. That mortal dint, Save He who reigns above, none can resist. --Milton. 2. To strive against; to endeavor to counteract, defeat, or frustrate; to act in opposition to; to oppose. God resisteth the proud. --James iv. 6. Contrary to his high will Whom we resist. --Milton. 3. To counteract, as a force, by inertia or reaction. 4. To be distasteful to. [Obs.] --Shak. Syn: To withstand; oppose; hinder; obstruct; counteract; check; thwart; baffle; disappoint.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Resist Re*sist", n. (Technical) Something that resists or prevents a certain action; specif.: A substance applied to a surface, as of metal, to prevent the action on it of acid or other chemical agent.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(resists, resisting, resisted) Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English. 1. If you resist something such as a change, you refuse to accept it and try to prevent it. She says she will resist a single European currency being imposed... They resisted our attempts to modernize the distribution of books. = oppose VERB: V n -ing, V n 2. If you resist someone or resist an attack by them, you fight back against them. The man was shot outside his house as he tried to resist arrest... When she had attempted to cut his nails he resisted. VERB: V n, V 3. If you resist doing something, or resist the temptation to do it, you stop yourself from doing it although you would like to do it. Students should resist the temptation to focus on exams alone... VERB: oft with neg, V n/-ing 4. If someone or something resists damage of some kind, they are not damaged. ...bodies trained and toughened to resist the cold... = withstand VERB: V n

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

v. a. 1. Oppose, withstand, impugn, confront, assail, attack, strive against, counteract, rebuff, stand against. 2. Withstand, hinder, check, thwart, baffle, disappoint.

Moby Thesaurus

antagonize, arrest, assail, assault, attack, baffle, balk, battle, be antipathetic, be at cross-purposes, be inimical, be proof against, bear up, bear up against, beat against, block, bottle up, bridle, buck, check, clash, collide, combat, conflict, conflict with, confute, contest, contradict, contrapose, contravene, control, counter, counteract, counterattack, countercheck, counterpose, countervail, counterwork, cross, curb, dam up, damp, dampen, defy, delay, deny, detain, dispute, duel, endure, fight, fight against, foil, forgo, frustrate, gainsay, go against, go counter to, hinder, hold at bay, hold back, hold in check, hold out, hold out against, hold up, impede, impugn, inhibit, intercept, interfere, interfere with, intermeddle, interrupt, intervene, join the opposition, keep at bay, keep back, keep in check, lock horns, meddle, meet head-on, militate against, not abide, obstruct, oppose, oppugn, outlast, play at cross-purposes, preclude, prevent, protest, rebuff, refuse, repel, repress, repulse, restrain, retard, run against, run counter to, scotch, set back, slacken, snub, stand, stand up, stand up against, stand up to, stem, stop, suppress, swim upstream, take issue with, thwart, traverse, turn down, vote against, weather, withstand, work against