resigned
rih-ZYND
/rɪˈzaɪnd/
Having accepted something unpleasant that one cannot change; passively submissive.
Implies quiet, unresisting compliance with an unwelcome situation.
The story behind the word. In Latin, resignare meant to unseal a document or sign away a legal right or position. When you resign yourself to a fate, you officially relinquish your opposition, signing off on the outcome as an inescapable reality.
Word relationships
- acquiescent: Acquiescent implies quiet agreement without argument, while resigned implies surrendering to unpleasant facts.
- submissive: Submissive emphasizes yielding to another person's authority, whereas resigned emphasizes accepting circumstances.
- defiant: Defiant indicates active resistance and challenge to authority or fate.
- rebellious: Rebellious stresses active fight against control.
Commonly confused with
- resigned (verb): The verb means quit a job; the adjective means quietly accepting bad circumstances.
Word family
- resign (verb): To accept something inevitable or quit a role.
- resignation (noun): Acceptance of something undesirable but inevitable.
- resignedly (adverb): In a manner showing acceptance of fate.
Collocations
- resigned sigh
- resigned look
- resigned tone
- resigned to fate
Idioms & expressions
- bow to the inevitable
- accept one's lot
Example sentences
- "With a resigned sigh, she packed up her desk and prepared for the long commute in the rain." Everyday life
- "The monarch appeared resigned to his fate as the revolutionary guards marched into the courtroom." Historical narrative
Memory hook
RE-SIGNED your contract with fate. Signing away your urge to fight back.
When not to use
Do not confuse with enthusiastic agreement; it is acceptance born of powerlessness.
Fun facts
- In Stoic philosophy, being resigned to nature's laws was considered the highest expression of wisdom rather than a sign of weakness.
Related words
Explore more words
resignation, acquiesce, passivity, submissive, compliant, fatalism
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