defy

1 of 2

verb

de·​fy di-ˈfī 

dē-

defied; defying

transitive verb

1

: to confront with assured power of resistance : disregard

defy public opinion

in trouble for defying a court order

2

: to resist attempts at : withstand

the paintings defy classification

a decision that defies all logic

3

: to challenge to do something considered impossible : dare

defied us to name a better movie

4

archaic : to challenge to combat

defy

2 of 2

noun

de·​fy di-ˈfī  ˈdē-ˌfī 

plural defies

: challenge, defiance

… observers took this to be a form of defy …

—Jack Alexander

Synonyms of defy

Verb

• disobey
• ignore

Examples of defy in a Sentence

Verb

She defied her parents and dropped out of school.

The group has continued to defy all efforts to stop them.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

The traditionalist Catholic group whose bishops and priests were excommunicated last week for defying Pope Leo XIV has ties to the Kansas City area. — Judy L. Thomas, Kansas City Star, 9 July 2026

Under the banner of resisting the West, Khamenei defied sanctions to build up the country’s nuclear program, its arsenal of missiles and its network of militant allies across the region. — ABC News, 9 July 2026

Bad Bunny's Super Bowl Halftime Show, which drew criticism from prominent Republicans and over 2,000 FCC complaints, has defied its detractors by earning a record nine Emmy nominations. — Hannah Abraham, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026

But designs for new memorials near Washington's National Mall are not meant to be dictated by only a few people, and the quick review process the arch has undergone has defied centuries of planning precedent and broken laws, some historians say. — Chiara Eisner, NPR, 8 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English defien "to renounce, disavow, scorn, challenge to fight," borrowed from Anglo-French defier, desfier, from de-, des- de- + fier "to pledge, trust in, rely on," going back to Vulgar Latin *fīdāre, re-formation of Latin fīdere "to trust (in), have confidence (in)" — more at faith entry 1

Note: The sense history was perhaps "to break faith with" > "to scorn" > "to challenge to a fight," though the latter meaning appears to be the earliest in Old French.

Noun

in part borrowed from Middle French deffy, noun derivative of defier "to challenge, defy entry 1," in part derivative of defy entry 1

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4

Noun

1580, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing defy

• defy analysis
• defy belief
• defy convention
• defy logic

Rhymes for defy

• apply
• awry
• belie
• bely
• bigeye
• bonsai
• buckeye
• comply
• coxae
• decry
• deny
• descry

Kids Definition

defy

verb

de·​fy

di-ˈfī

defied; defying

1

: to challenge to do something considered impossible : dare

the magician defied the audience to explain the trick

2

: to refuse boldly to obey or to yield to : disregard

defy public opinion

3

: to resist attempts at : withstand, baffle

a scene that defies description

defier

-ˈfī(-ə)r

noun