Any antonym for "resilient"?

[Mehrgan]

Hi there,
Would you please give me an antonym for "resilient" when it refers to one's characteristic? I've already seen the words "defeatist" or "dejected", but actually they mean a lack of hope. What I'm looking for is the lack of ability to return to one's good mood after Sth depressing happens to them.


Thanks in advance.

 

[TheParser]

Hi there,
Would you please give me an antonym for "resilient" when it refers to one's characteristic? I've already seen the words "defeatist" or "dejected", but actually they mean a lack of hope. What I'm looking for is the lack of ability to return to one's good mood after Sth depressing happens to them.


Thanks in advance.

********** NOT a teacher **********

Hello, Mehrgan.

(1) You want a word that means the inability to return to one's

good mood after some depressing incident.

(2) In my dictionaries and on the Web, I found a few words that

might meet your requirement.

(3) Let's say that I was an enthusiastic supporter of politician Ms. X.

Then I discover that Ms. X is no better than any other politician. I

would not be able to return to my previous mood of hope. So maybe

I could be described as:

disenchanted

disheartened

downhearted

disabused

disillusioned

spiritless

cynical

uninterested

downcast

apathetic

unconcerned

feeling hopeless

(3) Let's see what others suggest.

THANK YOU

 

[2006]

Hi there,
Would you please give me an antonym for "resilient" when it refers to one's characteristic? I presume you mean one's character. And if you just speak about the resilience of one's character, I think a good antonym for "resilient" is 'fragile'. A person with a fragile character/personality is easily hurt/disappointed/troubled and would have difficulty returning to a happier state of mind.
There are other words that can describe the "lack of ability to return to one's good mood", but they are not antonyms of "resilient".
Thanks in advance.

2006

 

[euncu]

I presume you mean one's character. And if you just speak about the resilience of one's character, I think a good antonym for "resilient" is 'fragile'. A person with fragile character/personality is easily hurt/disappointed/troubled and has difficulty returning to a happier state of mind.
There are other words that can describe the "lack of ability to return to one's good mood", but they are not antonyms of "resilient".
Thanks in advance.
2006

I think Mehrgan meant to say something different, like being resilient after a loss, a divorce, etc. So, I think Mehrgan meant to ask if one can't be resilient after such events, what do we call that state of mind?

 

[2006]

I think Mehrgan meant to say something different, like being resilient after a loss, a divorce, etc. So, I think Mehrgan meant to ask if one can't be resilient after such events, what do we call that state of mind?

I don't know what (s)he meant to ask, but what (s)he did ask for was an antonym for "resilient" as it relates to character, not the actual state of mind.

Of course "resilient" stresses the ability to bounce back, while "fragile" suggests both easy disappointment and difficult recovery. So they are not exact opposites, but I still think "fragile" is a reasonable antonym here. But maybe someone will come up with a better one.

 

[Mehrgan]

Many thanks to all dear posters. Actually I didn't mean an adjective describing a status of temporary emotion after a loss. It could be a word describing one's temperament, which makes that person fragile (as a dear poster put it). Well, I think being "resilient" is not Sth we can change easily, so I was looking for an adjective with the the same components.

I find the suggested vocabulary very interesting. So, thanks again.

 

[chester_100]

Many thanks to all dear posters. Actually I didn't mean an adjective describing a status of temporary emotion after a loss. It could be a word describing one's temperament, which makes that person fragile (as a dear poster put it). Well, I think being "resilient" is not Sth we can change easily, so I was looking for an adjective with the the same components.

I find the suggested vocabulary very interesting. So, thanks again.

If by 'temperament' you mean an innate characteristic, according to an old psycho-physiological belief, there's a bodily human called 'melancholy'. Although the belief is archaic, modern meanings of 'melancholy' are reminders of that: melancholy temperament.

'Despondent' is yet another suggestion.

 

[Mehrgan]

If by 'temperament' you mean an innate characteristic, according to an old psycho-physiological belief, there's a bodily human called 'melancholy'. Although the belief is archaic, modern meanings of 'melancholy' are reminders of that: melancholy temperament.

'Despondent' is yet another suggestion.

Yes. A disposition that makes one unable to return to their previous mood. The interesting point is, "resilient" does not mean "happy", but, 'able to return to previous good condition/mood'. And I wanted to know what to use to refer to Sb 'UNable to return to previous good condition/mood'. I suppose an antonym for "resilient", as an adjectice, should not necessarily include any 'element' of "Unhappiness".

Thanks. And sorry if I've kept repeating my own sentences! Ta!

 

[chester_100]

Yes. A disposition that makes one unable to return to their previous mood. The interesting point is, 'resilient' does not mean 'happy', but, 'able to return to previous good condition/mood'. And I wanted to know what to use to refer to Sb 'UNable to return to previous good condition/mood'. I suppose an antonym for 'resilient", as an adjectice, should not necessarily include any 'element' of 'Unhappiness'.

Thanks. And sorry if I've kept repeating my own sentences! Ta!

I skimmed some pages on personality disorder, and the closest concepts I came across were Adjustment Disorder and Depression.

You know what they say: desperate times call for desperate measures. So if it's O.K. to say 'non-nutritive compounds', then it shouldn't be a sin to accept 'non-resilient personality' as a correct phrase. Language is badly flexible.

Let's what others think!