Resistant means opposing or not easily affected by something. When you're resistant to an idea, you push back against it or don't want to accept it. When something is resistant to damage, it can withstand force without breaking.

Materials can be resistant to different things. A waterproof jacket is water-resistant, meaning rain beads up and rolls off instead of soaking through. Heat-resistant gloves protect your hands when touching hot pans. Some bacteria become antibiotic-resistant, meaning the medicines that used to kill them no longer work.

People can be resistant too. A resistant student might refuse to try a new way of solving math problems, even when the teacher shows it could help. Someone resistant to change wants things to stay the same.

In science, resistance describes how much a material opposes the flow of electricity or heat. A thick rubber coating provides high resistance to electricity, which is why it's used to cover electrical wires and keep people safe.

The opposite of resistant is receptive, open, or vulnerable. Being appropriately resistant (like wearing sunscreen that's water-resistant) protects you, but being resistant to every new experience or idea can hold you back.