抵御

• Pinyin: dǐ yù
• Hanzi breakdown: 抵 = 扌 + 氐 (resist); 御 = 彳 + 卸 simplified (to control/defend — classical register)

Meaning

To resist; to defend against; to ward off. To successfully protect against an attack, danger, or adverse force.

More formal and stronger than 抵挡. Often used in military, historical, or serious metaphorical contexts. Common collocations: 抵御外敌 (resist foreign invaders), 抵御风险 (ward off risks), 抵御疾病 (defend against illness). Implies both the will and capacity to defend.

Examples

1. 免疫系统是人体抵御病毒和细菌入侵的第一道防线，需要保持健康的生活方式来维护。 The immune system is the body’s first line of defense against invading viruses and bacteria, and it needs a healthy lifestyle to stay strong.
2. 长城最初修建的目的是抵御北方游牧民族的侵扰，历经数代扩建才形成今日规模。 The Great Wall was originally built to fend off incursions by northern nomadic peoples, and after generations of expansion it became what it is today.
3. 多元化投资策略有助于抵御单一市场波动带来的风险，是稳健理财的基本原则。 A diversified investment strategy helps guard against the risks of volatility in any single market and is a basic principle of sound financial planning.

Usage Guide

Context: military, medicine, finance, history

Tone: serious

Do Say

• 增强文化自信是抵御外来不良文化侵蚀的重要精神力量。(Strengthening cultural confidence is an important spiritual force for resisting the erosion of harmful foreign cultural influences.)
• 企业需要建立健全的风险管理体系，才能有效抵御市场的不确定性冲击。(Enterprises need to establish a sound risk management system in order to effectively ward off the impact of market uncertainty.)

Don't Say

• 抵御了他 — 抵御 takes an abstract threat or attack, not a person; use 抵御了敌人的进攻 or 抵御了来自竞争对手的压力; for targeting a person directly use 抵抗 or 反抗

Origin & History

抵 (resist/counter) + 御 (defend/control) — formal word for defence

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal