defiantly

adverb

de·​fi·​ant·​ly di-ˈfī-ənt-lē 

dē-

: in a defiant manner : in a way that is full of or shows a disposition to challenge, resist, or fight

She spoke out defiantly against the proposed law.

As his empire crumbled amid the … scandal, he defiantly refused a graceful exit.

—Jonathan Alter

Though restrained, the women do not lack independence, and they wag their tongues as defiantly as ever.

—Jason Farago

Examples of defiantly in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Never mind if the garden guides say a certain plant won’t work in her zone, Erin defiantly welcomes the challenge. — Teresa Woodard, Midwest Living, 12 Aug. 2026

Weeks before losing a three-year fight with cholangiocarcinoma, a rare bile duct cancer, on Wednesday, the 26-year-old was defiantly strutting her stuff at the Mondrian South Beach Hotel. — Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 8 Aug. 2026

The oil market has proven defiantly resilient, but that tenacity faces its biggest threat since the start of the Iran war. — David Goldman, CNN Money, 24 July 2026

Under Paris’ blistering 103-degree heat this week, Rami Malek defiantly sported a leather bomber and Pharrell Williams’ effortless cool chilled down whole city blocks. — Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 25 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1847, in the meaning defined above