Synonyms of resilience

resilience

noun

1

as in strength

the ability to withstand or adjust to challenges

Her resilience shined in her willingness to accept the failure as a valuable learning experience.

We were impressed by his resilience and optimism throughout his battle with cancer.

Related Words

• strength
• persistence
• persistency
• tenacity
• potency
• perseverance
• power
• stubbornness
• fortitude
• doggedness
• grit
• obduracy
• obstinacy
• tenaciousness
• backbone
• iron
• sand
• obdurateness
• obstinateness
• autonomy
• freedom
• pluck
• self-reliance
• self-sufficiency
• independence
• self-determination
• self-support
• self-dependence
• self-subsistence

Dissimilar Words

• weakness
• helplessness
• inadequacy
• impotence
• dependence
• reliance
• impotency

2

as in flexibility

the ability of something to return to its original shape after it has been stretched, pressed, bent, etc.

Rubber is a favorite material for dog toys thanks to its strong resilience.

Palm trees have evolved to show strong resilience in the face of tropical storms.

Related Words

• flexibility
• adaptability
• elasticity
• plasticity
• workability
• limberness
• workableness
• pliability
• ductility
• suppleness
• pliancy
• malleability
• pliableness
• pliantness

Dissimilar Words

• stiffness
• rigidity
• inflexibility

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of resilience

The technology developed by the US Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) is designed to strengthen supply chain resilience by allowing essential materials to be manufactured closer to where they are needed, including in remote or operational environments. — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 24 July 2026

As instances of extreme heat become more frequent, resilience will depend less on the speed of a city’s response, and more on the quality of its planning, well before temperatures reach dangerous levels. — Curtis S. Chin, Fortune, 23 July 2026

Leaders who can build psychologically safe, high-belonging environments will unlock engagement, resilience, innovation and performance that technology alone cannot create. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026

Progress requires talent, dedication, sacrifice and luck, combined with levels of resilience that few people possess. — Graham Scott, New York Times, 23 July 2026

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