resilient
Able to bounce back quickly after something bad happens.
resilient in a sentence
- The resilient team lost the first three matches, then trained harder and won the cup.
- Moss is surprisingly resilient, springing back to life after months of dry weather.
Try an 11+ style question
Verbal reasoning papers often ask about a word like this.
Which word is closest in meaning to resilient?
- Aweak
- Btough
- Cdelicate
- Dfragile
Show the answer
B: tough. The other three mean the opposite of resilient.
Which word is most nearly opposite in meaning to resilient?
- Astrong
- Btough
- Cfragile
- Dhardy
Show the answer
C: fragile. The other three mean nearly the same as resilient.
Words that mean something similar
tough, strong, hardy
Words that mean the opposite
fragile, weak, delicate
Careful: resilient is not hardy
Hardy is about getting through hard conditions. Resilient is about bouncing back afterwards. Read why children mix them up.
More words about character & personality
- rogue: Someone who behaves badly or dishonestly, but is often likeable.
- ruthless: Cruel and showing no pity at all.
- savage: Wild and violent.
- sincere: Truly meaning what you say or feel, without pretending.
- sinister: Seeming evil or threatening, as if something bad is about to happen.
- sly: Clever at tricking people in a sneaky way.
- smug: Too pleased with yourself in a way that annoys other people.
- sober: Serious and calm, not silly or playful.
More words to explore
Sitting the 11+ in Kent, Medway or Buckinghamshire?
Plain-English guides to each test, from the councils’ own pages: Kent Test · Medway Test · Bucks Secondary Transfer Test