resort

resort — noun

1. a town, coastal area, or large hotel complex where people stay for holidays, res

1.nounB1
Definition

a town, coastal area, or large hotel complex where people stay for holidays, rest, or entertainment such as sports, swimming, or sightseeing

Example

The Watanabe family booked a week at a beach resort in southern Thailand.

compound noun: beach resort

Many ski resorts in the Alps open their runs in early December.

compound noun: ski resort

Common collocations
  • beach resort
  • ski resort
  • holiday resort
  • resort hotel
  • seaside resort
  • mountain resort
  • luxury resort
  • resort town
  • family resort
  • all-inclusive resort
  • popular resort
  • seaside resort
Synonyms
  • holiday destination

    broader term; any place people go for a holiday, not necessarily with on-site entertainment or accommodation

  • getaway

    more informal; suggests a short trip away from everyday life

  • retreat

    quieter, often focused on rest, health, or spiritual activities rather than entertainment

Grammar Patterns

resort + noun (compound)

noun + resort

Common Mistakes

We stayed at a summer resort in the city centre.
We stayed at a summer resort by the beach.
Resorts are typically outside city centres, often near beaches, mountains, or other natural attractions.

2. a person, thing, or option you turn to for assistance only after all other possi

2.nounB2
Definition

a person, thing, or option you turn to for assistance only after all other possibilities have failed or are unavailable

Example

As a last resort, Mira sold her wedding ring to pay the medical bills.

fixed phrase: as a last resort

Strikes should always be a last resort when every other avenue has failed.

Common collocations
  • last resort
  • as a last resort
  • court of last resort
  • resort to
  • without resort to
  • final resort
  • ultimate resort
Synonyms
  • fallback

    less formal; a backup plan that may or may not be desperate

  • recourse

    more formal; the right or ability to turn to someone or something for help in a difficult situation

  • emergency measure

    narrower; focuses on a specific action taken in a crisis

Antonyms
  • first choice

    the option you prefer most, rather than the one you are forced into

Grammar Patterns

last resort

as a last resort

resort of last resort

Usage Note

Most commonly found in the fixed phrases 'last resort' (the final option available) and 'as a last resort' (if everything else fails). 'Court of last resort' refers to the highest court in a legal system, whose decisions cannot be appealed further.

Common Mistakes

I asked my teacher for help as the last resort.
I asked my teacher for help when I was really stuck.
'Last resort' suggests a serious, desperate situation rather than a routine request for assistance.

3. a place where a particular person or group goes regularly or frequently

3.nounC1
Definition

a place where a particular person or group goes regularly or frequently

Example

The quiet café near the art gallery is a favourite resort for local painters.

formal register: 'resort' meaning a place frequently visited

The old pavilion by the lake became a popular resort for birdwatchers in spring.

Common collocations
  • favourite resort
  • popular resort
  • regular resort
  • resort of artists
  • resort of birds
Synonyms
  • haunt

    similar register; often implies a place associated with ghosts or with a person's frequent presence over a long period

  • hangout

    very informal and casual; not suitable for formal writing

  • meeting place

    neutral; focuses on the social function rather than the frequency

Grammar Patterns

a/the resort of + group/person

Usage Note

This sense has a formal or slightly literary tone in modern English. It is much less common than the 'holiday place' sense (sense 1). The meaning overlaps with 'haunt'.

resort — verb

Word family

  • resorter
    nounC2
  • resort hotel
    nounB1

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All four phrases describe using something or someone for help in a difficult situation, but they differ in register and connotation. 'Resort to' is the strongest: it implies the action is unpleasant, extreme, or something you would rather avoid — you resort to lies, violence, or drastic measures when gentler options have failed. 'Fall back on' is milder and more neutral; it means using a reserve or backup plan (skills, savings, or support from family) without any suggestion of desperation. 'Turn to' is the broadest and most everyday verb; you can turn to a friend for advice, turn to religion for comfort, or turn to a book for information — it covers any kind of求助 with no negative judgement. 'Have recourse to' is the most formal, used mainly in legal and official writing; it refers to using a right, law, or formal procedure to solve a problem. Choose 'resort to' when you want to stress reluctance or desperation; choose 'turn to' for everyday help-seeking; pick 'have recourse to' in formal documents.

resort to ↗fall back on ↗turn to ↗have recourse to

Common collocations

Nouns

  • resort
  • tourists
  • visitors
  • holidaymakers
  • vacationers

Adverbs

Phrases

  • as a last resort
  • resort to violence
  • last resort

Prepositions

Etymology

Old FrenchAnglo-NormanMiddle EnglishModern English

The word 'resort' entered English in the 1300s from Old French 'resortir', meaning 'to go out again' — from re- ('again') and sortir ('to go out'). The idea was of going back to a place or person repeatedly. By the 1500s it had developed the meaning 'to turn to for help' (the verb sense that later became 'resort to'). The noun 'resort' meaning 'a place people go to often' appeared in the 1700s, and the modern sense of a holiday destination emerged in the mid-1800s as seaside towns and mountain retreats became popular for leisure travel.