resistibleadj.
/rᵻˈzɪstᵻbl/, U.S. /rəˈzɪstəb(ə)l/, /riˈzɪstəb(ə)l/ Capable of being resisted; to which resistance can be made. In later use sometimes humorously: by no means irresistible; notably lacking in attractive qualities.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > difficulty > opposition > [adjective] > resisting > resisted > able to be
resistable?1560
resistible1617
supportable1711
1617 J. Salkeld Treat. Paradise i. 5 The commaundement of God had not beene sufficient, or his will resistible without the assistance of the Angelicall power.
1629 tr. Collegiat Suffrage v. 103 The Remonstrants labour to prove, that God worketh faith in men by such a power and grace, as man may resist; and consequently that God by a resistible power [L. per vim resistibilem], doth keepe and preserve faith already wrought in the hearts of the faithfull.
1643 W. Prynne Soveraigne Power Parl. iii. 121 Our Opposites must..make Kings as resistible, censurable, deprivable,..as far forth as they.
a1729 R. Moss Serm. (1738) VIII. i. 30 Some Art invented to make the Havock of War more dreadful and less resistible.
1759 S. Johnson Prince of Abissinia II. xxx. 39 Earthquakes themselves, the least resistible of natural violence.
1799 I. D'Israeli Romances 159 At first he faintly wrestled with his desires; but as the mind of Leila calmed, every day she became less resistible.
1828 ‘Officer of Colombian Navy’ Recoll. Service Venezuela & Colombia I. vi. 146 The strong inclination to sleep..was..scarcely resistible, and at times I could not shake it off without inflicting pain on myself.
1884 Church Times 14 Nov. 858/4 A genuine outbreak..would be no more resistible than James II found it.
1903 G. B. Shaw Man & Superman iii. 134 As to your Life Force, which you think irresistible, it is the most resistible thing in the world for a person of any character.
1966 Listener 9 Nov. 597/3 The most resistible of the new MPs..his voice, as usual, half-way between a splutter and a jeer.
1979 Financial Times 14 Apr. 21/3 The water babies themselves are frightful infants..given to singing resistible underwater ditties.
2000 D. Adebayo My Once upon Time (2001) iii. 49 She looked agreeable enough..but I found her resistible compared to the in-your-face assets of Miss Cherry.
Derivatives
reˈsistibleness n.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > difficulty > opposition > [noun] > opposition or resistance > ability to be resisted
resistibility1619
resistability1622
resistableness1784
resistibleness1820
1820 Reality & Efficacy Divine Grace (new ed.) ii, in A. Fuller Wks. I. 350 I shall close my remarks..with a few observations on the resistibleness or irresistibleness [?1788 resistableness or irresistableness] of the Holy Spirit.
1888 J. Martineau Study Relig. II. iii. ii. 272 A dynamical resistibleness to a numerical law.
1962 Philol. Q. 41 203 The eternal snob, who must compensate for her lack of charm and beauty by descanting on cosmetics and clothes, who makes up for her resistibleness by sexual aggression and jealousy.
reˈsistibly adv.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > difficulty > opposition > [adverb] > resistingly > able to be resisted
resistibly1652
1652 J. Goodwin et al. Έιρηνομαχια iii. 50 One and the same work, at one and the same time, may be wrought both resistibly, and irresistibly.
1673 H. Hickman Hist. Quinq-articularis 427 God by his Spirit shall only resistibly, indifferently and remotely..regenerate and renew our selves.
1849 J. Craig New Universal Dict. Resistibly, in a resistible manner.
1916 E. C. Booth Fondie i. xlv. 197 Those other studies..appealed less resistibly to his ambitions and desires.
1997 Observer (Nexis) 14 Dec. 9 This was potentially interesting food made somehow resistibly duller by being fussed with too much.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2010; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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adj.1617