insulin resistance

noun

: reduced sensitivity to insulin by the body's insulin-dependent processes (such as glucose uptake and lipolysis) that is typical of type 2 diabetes but often occurs in the absence of diabetes

Examples of insulin resistance in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Damman noted that even five minutes of getting the heart rate up after a meal is enough to blunt the post-meal spike, which points to real potential for people managing insulin resistance or a family history of type 2 diabetes. — Hanna Wickes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Sep. 2026

But in someone with diabetes or insulin resistance, a large spike of glucose may reduce blood flow to certain parts of the brain, Feldman said. — HEALTH, 23 Sep. 2026

This effect can be particularly beneficial for those with insulin resistance, prediabetes, or individuals experiencing energy crashes after meals. — Lindsay Curtis, Verywell Health, 17 Sep. 2026

Diabetes is a major risk factor for heart disease — and midlife hormonal changes increase the chances of developing insulin resistance, which massively ups the chances of developing diabetes. — Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 10 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1927, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for insulin resistance

• magnetoresistance
• assistance
• consistence
• desistance
• existence
• insistence
• persistence
• subsistence
• coexistence
• nonexistence
• distance

Medical Definition

insulin resistance

noun

: reduced sensitivity to insulin by the body's insulin-dependent processes (as glucose uptake, lipolysis, and inhibition of glucose production by the liver) that results in decreased activity of these processes or an increase in insulin production or both and that is typical of type 2 diabetes but often occurs in the absence of diabetes