rhizoverbBeta
DictionaryRoot: sistere
Latin

sistere

make stand; take a stand

Forms

  • sistere
  • -sist- — The form retained inside many compounds.

Origin

Formed within the Latin family of stare, “stand,” ultimately from an old Indo-European root for standing.

Note

Making something stand can mean establishing it, stopping it, or making it remain.

15 / 24
An overpowering gust defeats a woman's visible effort to stand firm: she leans into the wind with bent knees, but her shoes skid backward and her umbrella turns inside out.
adjective

irresistible

ir-ih-ZIS-tuh-buhl/ˌɪrɪˈzɪstəbl/

Too appealing or powerful to resist.

Etymology
irLatinnot; without
+reLatinback, again; restoration or reversal
+sistLatinmake stand; take a stand
+ibleLatinable or suitable to be

Standing firm against something is the original image behind resistance. Irresistible describes what cannot be withstood, whether an overpowering force or an attraction too tempting to refuse.

Full entry

Related word entries