resistless

resistless — adjective

  • resistlesspositive
  • more resistlesscomparative
  • most resistlesssuperlative

1. so strong or powerful that nothing can stop it or fight against it

1.形容詞C2
釋義

so strong or powerful that nothing can stop it or fight against it

例句

The army advanced with resistless force, crushing every defence in its path.

collocation: resistless force

Karim felt a resistless urge to laugh during the quiet ceremony.

collocation: resistless urge

同義詞
  • irresistible

    far more common in everyday use; less formal

  • overpowering

    emphasises physical or emotional strength that defeats opposition

  • overwhelming

    focuses on the effect, often emotional or numerical

  • compelling

    suggests strong mental or persuasive force

反義詞
  • resistible

    possible to fight against or avoid

  • weak

    lacking the power to overcome

用法筆記

More common than sense 2 in modern English. Primarily found in formal, literary, or dramatic writing rather than everyday speech.

常見錯誤

❌The feeling was resistless and I could not fight it.
✅The feeling was resistless, sweeping aside all my doubts.
💡'resistless' describes the force itself, not the person's ability to fight.

2. offering no opposition; accepting what happens without trying to fight back

2.形容詞C2
釋義

offering no opposition; accepting what happens without trying to fight back

例句

The injured bird lay resistless in Beatrix's palm, too weak to move.

passive: lay resistless

Tanvi stood resistless before the judge, ready to accept any decision.

collocation: stand resistless

同義詞
  • unresisting

    more precise and less ambiguous for this sense

  • submissive

    suggests a voluntary choice to obey

  • passive

    describes inaction without implying willingness

  • yielding

    implies giving way under pressure

反義詞

用法筆記

This sense is the opposite of sense 1 and is very rare in modern English. It describes a person or creature that shows no active opposition. Distinguish from sense 1 (IRRESISTIBLE), where the word describes something that overpowers others.

常見錯誤

❌The resistless storm destroyed the town.' (intending sense 2: submissive)
✅The resistless storm destroyed the town.' (this is correct only for sense 1: irresistible)
💡'resistless' in sense 2 describes the thing that does NOT resist, not the thing that CANNOT be resisted.