Words / C1

ri-ZIL-ee-uh-nt/rɪˈzɪliənt/

Resilient means able to recover after a shock: a resilient system, resilient communities. Tough is everyday; robust (also in this batch) is strong against attack, not necessarily quick to bounce back. Resilience is the noun. Do not use resilient as a polite way to tell understaffed people to cope without resources.

Meaning

Able to recover quickly from difficulty, shock, or damage.

Examples

• “A resilient timetable had a backup room when the hall flooded.”
• “A resilient timetable had a spare room; a “resilient workforce” slide with no cover staff is rhetoric.”
• “Crops can be resilient to drought; that is biology, not a personality slogan.”

Good to know

Bounces back. Noun: resilience. Close: robust (hard to damage). Everyday: tough. Not a substitute for resources.

Near in meaning

tough

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