defiant

adjective

de·​fi·​ant di-ˈfī-ənt 

dē-

: full of or showing a disposition to challenge, resist, or fight : full of or showing defiance : bold, impudent

defiant rebels

a defiant refusal

Mantor struck a defiant pose, his chin out, and rocked for a moment on the heels of his boots.

—Christopher Ketcham

Synonyms of defiant

• rebellious
• rebel
• stubborn

Examples of defiant in a Sentence

He's taken a defiant stand on the issue.

the defiant puppy refused to let go of the football

Recent Examples on the Web

The arrival of both the first and second stages marks a defiant comeback for an RFA that many feared would be grounded indefinitely by its 2024 setback. —Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 9 Mar. 2026

Marta Díaz de Lope Díaz’s ‘Another League’ chronicles the defiant birth of women’s soccer in the waning years of Francisco Franco’s arcane dictatorship in early 1970s Spain – today the reigning world champions after winning the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2023. —Ed Meza, Variety, 9 Mar. 2026

Iran's defiant choice suggests the road to resolution in this conflict could be long. —Rachel Treisman, NPR, 9 Mar. 2026

The elevation of Mojtaba Khamenei to the mantle of supreme leader brings to Iran’s top job a hard-line figure who is most firmly his father’s son in charting a defiant path for the country. —Ramin Mostaghim, Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

in part borrowed from French défiant "mistrustful," from present participle of défier "to mistrust, challenge, defy entry 1," going back to Old French; in part from defi(ance) + -ant entry 2

First Known Use

1583, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing defiant

• oppositional defiant disorder

Rhymes for defiant

• compliant
• reliant
• suppliant
• client
• giant
• pliant
• scient
• noncompliant
• supergiant

Kids Definition

defiant

adjective

de·​fi·​ant di-ˈfī-ənt 

: full of or showing defiance : impudent, insolent

defiantly adverb