What Does “Resign yourself to doing sth” Mean?
“Resign yourself to doing sth” means to accept a difficult or unpleasant situation and decide to deal with it, even if you don’t like it.
Introduction
The phrase “resign yourself to doing sth” is often used when someone realizes they cannot change a situation and must accept it. This phrasal verb expresses a feeling of reluctant acceptance, where a person stops resisting and prepares to cope with what must be done. Understanding the “resign yourself to doing sth” meaning helps learners express resignation or acceptance clearly in English. It is useful in everyday conversations, especially when discussing challenges or unavoidable tasks.
Quick Info Box
- Phrasal verb: resign yourself to doing something
- Type: intransitive
- Level: B2
- Short meaning: accept something unpleasant and prepare to deal with it
Structure (Grammar Rules)
“Resign yourself to doing sth” is an inseparable phrasal verb. You cannot separate “resign yourself” from the preposition “to.”
Common patterns include:
- Resign yourself to + verb-ing (doing something)
- Resign yourself to + noun (a situation or fact)
Example: She resigned herself to waiting for the bus in the rain.
How to Use Resign yourself to doing sth?
Use this phrase when you want to express that you have accepted a situation that you cannot change. It often implies some sadness or frustration but also a readiness to move forward.
You can use it in both formal and informal contexts, especially when talking about personal feelings or decisions.
Examples
When the flight was delayed for hours, I had to resign myself to waiting at the airport.
- After losing her job, she resigned herself to finding a new career.
- We resigned ourselves to doing all the cleaning before the guests arrived.
- He resigned himself to missing the concert because of his busy schedule.
- They resigned themselves to living in a smaller apartment for a while.
These examples show how “resign yourself to doing sth in a sentence” expresses acceptance of an unavoidable action.
Common Mistakes
It’s common to confuse the structure or use the phrase incorrectly. Here are some examples:
- Incorrect: I resign myself doing the extra work.
- Correct: I resign myself to doing the extra work.
- Incorrect: She resigned herself for moving to another city.
- Correct: She resigned herself to moving to another city.
Remember, always use “resign yourself to” followed by a verb ending in -ing or a noun.
Differences / Synonyms
Similar phrasal verbs include “give in,” “accept,” or “come to terms with.” However, “resign yourself to doing sth” emphasizes reluctant acceptance and a mental decision to cope.
- Give in: Often means to stop resisting immediately.
- Accept: More neutral, without the sense of reluctance.
- Come to terms with: Similar meaning but can be broader, including emotional acceptance.
Use “resign yourself to” when you want to highlight the struggle before acceptance.
Common Collocations
People often use “resign yourself to” with common activities or situations that are difficult but unavoidable. Here are some collocations:
- Resign yourself to waiting: accept waiting as necessary
- Resign yourself to losing: accept defeat
- Resign yourself to doing homework: accept the task of homework
- Resign yourself to change: accept changes you cannot avoid
- Resign yourself to delays: accept that delays will happen
Real-life Dialogue
Here is a short conversation using “resign yourself to doing sth”:
Anna: The weather looks terrible. I guess our picnic is ruined.
Ben: Yeah, I guess we’ll have to resign ourselves to eating inside.
Anna: Not what I planned, but it’s better than nothing.
Practice
Choose the correct sentence:
- A) I resign myself doing the extra shift tonight.
- B) I resign myself to doing the extra shift tonight.
- C) I resign myself for doing the extra shift tonight.
Answer: B
Fill in the blank:
After missing the bus, she __________ to waiting for the next one.
- resigned herself to
- resigned herself for
- resigned herself doing
Answer: resigned herself to
FAQ
- What does “resign yourself to doing sth” mean? It means to accept an unpleasant situation and prepare to deal with it.
- Is “resign yourself to doing sth” separable? No, it is an inseparable phrasal verb.
- Can I use “resign yourself to” with a noun? Yes, you can use it with both a noun or a verb ending in -ing.
- What is a common mistake with this phrase? Forgetting “to” or using the wrong preposition, such as “for” or no preposition.
- Is this phrase formal or informal? It can be used in both formal and informal contexts.
