re ‧ sist W3 /rɪˈzɪst/ BrE AmE verb
[ Date: 1300-1400 ; Language: Latin ; Origin: resistere , from sistere 'to stop' ]
1 . [intransitive, transitive usually in negatives] to stop yourself from having something that you like very much or doing something that you want to do
cannot resist (doing) something
I just can’t resist chocolate.
She can never resist buying new shoes.
it is hard/difficult/impossible to resist something
It’s hard to resist an invitation like that.
resist the temptation/urge to do something
She resisted the temptation to laugh.
They only wanted 3 dollars for it, so how could I resist?
2 . [transitive] to try to prevent a change from happening, or prevent yourself from being forced to do something:
He resisted pressure to resign.
resist doing something
For months the company has resisted changing its accounts system.
strongly/fiercely/vigorously etc resist
The proposal was strongly resisted by the police.
3 . [intransitive and transitive] to use force to stop something from happening
strongly/fiercely/firmly etc resist
Demonstrators violently resisted attempts to remove them from the building.
He was charged with trying to resist arrest.
4 . [transitive] to not be changed or harmed by something:
your ability to resist infection
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COLLOCATIONS (for Meaning 1)
■ nouns
▪ resist the temptation to do something
He resisted the temptation to look back.
▪ resist the urge/impulse to do something
Bob resisted the urge to touch her hand.
▪ resist the lure of something (=resist its attractive quality)
Bond could never resist the lure of a beautiful woman.
▪ resist a challenge
Mr Taylor is a man who cannot resist a challenge.
■ phrases
▪ cannot resist (doing) something
I couldn't resist teasing him.
▪ be unable to resist (doing) something
He was unable to resist the temptation to smoke.
▪ hard/difficult to resist
The temptation to follow them was hard to resist.
▪ impossible to resist
The urge to give him a hug was almost impossible to resist.
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COLLOCATIONS (for Meaning 2)
■ nouns
▪ resist pressure
The Chancellor resisted pressure to increase taxes.
▪ resist an attempt to do something
The rest of the board resisted his attempts to change the way things were done.
▪ resist change
People resist change because they fear the unknown.
■ adverbs
▪ strongly/vigorously/strenuously
Barcelona strongly resisted moves by rival clubs to sign their star players.
▪ fiercely
The proposed change has been fiercely resisted by car companies.
▪ stubbornly
They stubbornly resisted all attempts to modernize the factory.
▪ successfully
He successfully resisted a challenge to his leadership.
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THESAURUS
▪ oppose to think that a plan or idea is wrong, and to try to prevent it from happening or succeeding:
Hundreds of people wrote to oppose the scheme.
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The other parties opposed the bill.
▪ be against something/be opposed to something to think that something is wrong and should not be allowed:
I used to be against the death penalty.
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Most people are opposed to the privatization of the city’s public transportation system.
▪ not agree with something to think that something is wrong:
I don’t agree with training animals for entertainment.
▪ object to say or feel that something is wrong:
No one objected to the proposals.
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She strongly objects to being told what to do.
▪ resist to try to prevent a change from happening, or prevent yourself from being forced to do something:
People often resist change, when they have been used to doing things in a certain way for a long time.
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She resisted all attempts to teach her how to cook.
▪ anti- opposed to something – used in adjectives:
antiwar protesters
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an anti-slavery movement