Resort is a word with severalmore than two, but not many different meanings. It can be a verb meaning to use something as a last or necessaryneeded for a particular purpose or situation option, or a noun meaning a place people go for help, a holiday hotel or destinationthe place to which someone is traveling or going, or a place someone visits often.

Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-28. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.

Pronunciation

AI-generated pronunciation audio (OpenAI).

Accent: General American English

IPA: /rɪˈzɔrt/

Easy pronunciation: ri-ZORT (approximate spelling).

Stress: Stress the second syllable.

Verb meaning to turn to something as a last or necessary option.

Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-28. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.

Resort Meaning

to turn to something when nothing else will work

Part of speech: verb

Definition: to use something as a last or necessary option

Example: The government resorted to rationing meat.

Synonyms for this meaning:

• fall back — Used when you choose another option because the usual one is not possible.
• recur — Can work in some contexts, but it is less direct and less common than 'fall back on' as a substitute.

Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: inaccurate — correction needed. Checked: 2026-10-28. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.

Other Meanings of Resort

Meaning 2

a holiday destination or vacation place

Part of speech: noun

Definition: a place people go for a holiday or for leisure

Example: We spent a week at a beach resort.

Synonyms for this meaning:

• holiday resort — A close noun phrase for a vacation destination.
• resort hotel — Works when the meaning is a hotel in a resort area.

Meaning 3

help or protection that you turn to

Part of speech: noun

Definition: something or someone turned to for help or protection

Example: As a last resort, she asked her sister for help.

Synonyms for this meaning:

• recourse — A direct synonym in the sense of a means of help or action.
• refuge — Works better when the emphasis is on safety or shelter than on help in general.

Meaning 4

the act of choosing a final option for help

Part of speech: noun

Definition: the act of turning to someone or something for help

Example: He tried calling friends, and as a last resort, he contacted his old manager.

Synonyms for this meaning:

• recourse — The best synonym for this noun sense.
• refuge — Only fits when the help is also a place of safety or comfort.

Meaning 5

to go or head to a place

Part of speech: verb

Definition: to move or travel toward a place

Example: They resorted to the coast for the weekend.

Synonyms for this meaning:

• repair — An older or more literary word meaning to go to a place; not common in modern everyday English.

Meaning 6

a place someone often goes to

Part of speech: noun

Definition: a place someone visits often

Example: That café is a popular resort for local writers.

Synonyms for this meaning:

• hangout — A natural modern synonym when the place is informal and often visited.
• haunt — Works in a literary or informal sense for a favorite place people frequent.
• stamping ground — Informal; means an area someone often goes to or is seen in.
• repair — An older usage for a place one regularly goes to.

Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: inaccurate — correction needed. Checked: 2026-10-28. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.

Resort Synonyms

Similar Meaning

• fall back

holiday destination or vacation place

• holiday resort
• resort hotel

help, protection, or assistance

• recourse
• refuge

a place someone visits often

• hangout
• haunt
• stamping ground

Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: uncertain — manual review needed. Checked: 2026-10-28. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.

Common Mistakes

• Do not confuse the verb resort to with the noun resort.
• The phrase 'last resort' means the final option, not a vacation place.
• Resort can mean a holiday destination, but in some contexts it means help, protection, or a place someone frequents.

Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-28. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does resort mean?

Resort can mean to turn to something as a last option, a holiday destination, help or protection, or a place someone often goes to.

What is the synonym of resort?

For the verb sense, the strongest synonym is fall back on. For the noun senses, recourse, refuge, hangout, or holiday resort may fit depending on the meaning.

What does last resort mean?

Last resort means the final option you use when nothing else has worked.

Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-28. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.