defend

de·fend

verb \di-ˈfend\

Definition of DEFEND

transitive verb

1

a : to drive danger or attack away from <defend our shores> b (1) : to maintain or support in the face of argument or hostile criticism <defend a theory> (2) : to prove (as a doctoral thesis) valid by answering questions in an oral exam c : to attempt to prevent an opponent from scoring at <elects to defend the south goal>

2

archaic : prevent, forbid

3

: to act as attorney for

4

: to deny or oppose the right of a plaintiff in regard to (a suit or a wrong charged) : contest

5

: to retain or seek to retain (as a title or position) against a challenge in a contest <they successfully defended their championship>

intransitive verb

1

: to take action against attack or challenge

2

: to play or be on defense <playing deep to defend against a pass>

3

: to play against the high bidder in a card game

— de·fend·able \ˈfen-də-bəl\ adjective

Examples of DEFEND

1. The company must defend its own interests.
2. We believed it was a cause worth defending.
3. She defended her friend's behavior.
4. Stop defending him. What he did was wrong.

Origin of DEFEND

Middle English, from Anglo-French defendre, from Latin defendere, from de- + -fendere to strike; akin to Old English gūth battle, war, Greek theinein to strike

First Known Use: 14th century

Related to DEFEND

Synonyms: bulwark, cover, fence, fend, forfend, guard, keep, protect, safeguard, screen, secure, shield, ward, stand up for

Antonyms: assail, assault, attack

Related Words: avert, prevent; oppose, resist, withstand; battle, contend, fight, war; conserve, preserve, save; buffer, palisade, picket, wall

Near Antonyms: bombard, storm; beset, besiege, overrun; capitulate, cave, submit, yield

see all synonyms and antonyms

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Synonym Discussion of DEFEND

defend, protect, shield, guard, safeguard mean to keep secure from danger or against attack. defend denotes warding off actual or threatened attack <defend the country>. protect implies the use of something (as a covering) as a bar to the admission or impact of what may attack or injure <a hard hat to protect your head>. shield suggests protective intervention in imminent danger or actual attack <shielded her eyes from the sun with her hand>. guard implies protecting with vigilance and force against expected danger <White House entrances are well guarded>. safeguard implies taking precautionary protective measures against merely possible danger <our civil liberties must be safeguarded>.

Rhymes with DEFEND

addend, amend, append, ascend, attend, bartend, befriend, Big Bend, bookend, boyfriend, closed-end, commend, compend, contend, dead end, dead-end, depend, descend, distend, downtrend, emend, expend, extend, fag end, forfend, front-end, girlfriend, Gravesend, headend, high-end, hornblende, impend, intend, Land's End, loose end, low-end, missend, misspend, next friend, no end, offend, on end, Ostend, outspend, perpend, pitchblende, portend, pretend, propend, protend, rear-end, resend, sheet bend, South Bend, split end, stipend, subtend, suspend, tag end, tail end, tight end, top-end, transcend, unbend, unkenned, upend, uptrend, weekend, year-end