Sign In Get Started
Prepositions after adjectives

How to use resistant with prepositions

Resistant is most commonly followed by to when describing opposition, immunity, or protection.

Quick answer

Preferred construction

Use resistant to for physical, medical, emotional, or political resistance. Resistant against appears in some technical contexts, while resistant for and resistant in are not standard complements.

This fabric is resistant to water.
Some bacteria are resistant to antibiotics.
He remained resistant to change.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
resistant to + substance

Describing physical protection

Use to with damage, chemicals, weather, and similar threats.

The coating is resistant to corrosion.
2
resistant to + treatment

Medical and scientific use

To is standard in medical and scientific English.

The strain became resistant to treatment.
3
resistant against + attack

Alternative technical wording

Against sometimes appears in technical writing, especially with protection or defence.

The system is resistant against intrusion.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
resistant to
She is resistant to pressure.
Standard and widely used.
resistant against
The barrier is resistant against impact.
Possible in technical contexts, though less common.
resistant for
The material is resistant for heat.
Nonstandard as a complement after resistant.
resistant in
They are resistant in negotiations.
In introduces context, not the normal adjective pattern.

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using for after resistant

Resistant does not normally take for.

✕ The glass is resistant for scratches. ✓ The glass is resistant to scratches.

Using in for the threat

Use to for what is resisted.

✕ He is resistant in criticism. ✓ He is resistant to criticism.

Overusing against

Against is possible, but to is usually simpler and more idiomatic.

✕ The paint is resistant against water. ✓ The paint is resistant to water.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. This material is resistant ___ fire.
2. The software is resistant ___ cyberattacks.
3. He is resistant ___ outside influence.

Check your sentence in context

Paste the complete sentence below. Linguix checks the preposition together with grammar, spelling, punctuation, and style.

Free to try · No signup required

Frequently asked questions

Is resistant to the normal pattern?

Yes. Resistant to is the standard construction in most contexts.

Can I say resistant against?

Yes, especially in technical or engineering language, though resistant to is more common.

Is resistant for correct?

No. Resistant for is not standard English.

racist-in-against-for-to, towards "radical in" or "radical for"? rampant in, among, with, on or throughout? "rare in" or "rare for"? "rational for" or "rational in"? "raw in", "raw for" or "raw with"? reachable by, from, on, in or through? "reactive to", "reactive rather" or "reactive in"? ready for, to, in, at or by? "realistic about" or "realistic in"? "real to", "real for" or "real in"? rearing of, as or on?

Write with confidence in Linguix

Create a free account to check complete texts, apply suggestions, and save your documents.

Create a free account