To resist means to push back against something or refuse to give in to it. When you resist the temptation to eat a third cookie before dinner, you're fighting against your strong desire for more sweets. When protesters resist an unjust law, they're actively opposing it through speeches, marches, or refusing to obey it.

Resistance can be physical or mental. A heavy door might resist your efforts to open it, requiring you to push harder. A stubborn stain might resist all your scrubbing. Your body resists infections by using white blood cells to fight off germs. But resistance also happens in your mind: you might resist believing a rumor about a friend because you know their true character, or resist peer pressure to do something you believe is wrong.

The word carries a sense of strength and determination. When something or someone resists, they don't just passively accept what's happening. They actively work against it. A student might resist learning a difficult concept at first, struggling with the confusion until it finally clicks. Materials like water-resistant jackets push back against moisture, keeping you dry in the rain.

Resistance is the noun form: “The fortress showed fierce resistance during the siege.” Someone who fights against control or oppression is part of the resistance, working to change things they believe are wrong.