defy

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verb de·fy \ di-ˈfī , dē- \

Definition of defy

defied; defying

transitive verb

1 archaic :to challenge to combat

2 :to challenge to do something considered impossible :dare

defied us to name a better movie

3 :to confront with assured power of resistance :disregard

defy public opinion

in trouble for defying a court order

4 :to resist attempts at :withstand

the paintings defy classification

a decision that defies all logic

See defy defined for English-language learners

See defy defined for kids

Examples of defy in a Sentence

She defied her parents and dropped out of school.
The group has continued to defy all efforts to stop them.

Recent Examples of defy from the Web

His 10-year survival defied the odds, and so did becoming a parent - twice.

— michelle matthews, AL.com, "'I'm still here': Alabama man celebrates 10-year anniversary of cancer diagnosis," 24 Aug. 2017
His avatar was John Carter, the Confederate hero of Edgar Rice Burroughs's science fiction series about death-defying adventures on Mars.

— peter holley, ajc, "A black man went undercover as a digital white supremacist. This is what he learned.," 24 Aug. 2017
Soon, a flapper was any girl or woman who defied convention—

— linda simon, Smithsonian, "Flappers Took the Country by Storm, But Did They Ever Truly Go Away," 22 Aug. 2017
Venezuelans walk through the streets, defying the possibility that they will be hit by a rubber bullet, choked by tear-gas bombs, or killed.

— eduard freisler, National Review, "Venezuela and the Gray Shades of Communist Czechoslovakia," 21 Aug. 2017
The move imposed sanctions on the country for defying a ban on testing missiles and nuclear bombs.

— veronica hilbring, Essence.com, "Threats, Missiles And A Lot Of Embarrassment: What You Need To Know About Trump And North Korea," 10 Aug. 2017
Committed to inspiring and championing modern Latino storytellers, El Rey Studios gives voice to creators with bold and imaginative visions that defy convention.

— posted jim varsallone, miamiherald, "Cueto Cup continues on Lucha Underground on El Rey Network," 9 Aug. 2017
His group’s ideas, rooted in analytics, defied conventional baseball thinking.

— matt gelb, Philly.com, "How the Astros survived a rebuild and provided lessons for the Phillies," 27 July 2017
No one dared to defy the studio moguls—except for Monroe, who, in 1955, rattled the system to its brittle core.

— elizabeth winder, Marie Claire, "The Secret Career Genius of Marilyn Monroe," 26 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'defy.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of defy

Middle English, to renounce faith in, challenge, from Anglo-French desfier, defier, from des- de- + fier to entrust, from Vulgar Latin *fidare, alteration of Latin fidere to trust — more at bide

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First Known Use: 14th century

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defy Synonyms

Synonyms

disobey, mock, rebel (against)

Antonyms

comply (with), conform (to), follow, mind, obey

Related Words

disoblige; mutiny (against), revolt (against); disregard, ignore, overlook, overpass, pass over, tune out; brush off, dismiss, flout, pooh-pooh (also pooh), reject, scoff (at), scorn, shrug off, wink (at); breach, break, infringe, transgress, violate; buck, combat, contest, dispute, fight, oppose, resist, withstand

Near Antonyms

capitulate (to), concede (to), defer (to), goose-step (to), serve, stoop (to), submit (to), surrender (to), yield (to); cooperate (with); keep, observe; accede (to), acquiesce (to), agree (to), assent (to), oblige; attend, hear, heed, listen (to), mark, note, notice, regard, watch

defy

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noun de·fy \ di-ˈfī , ˈdē-ˌ \

Definition of defy

plural defies

:challenge, defiance

observers took this to be a form of defy
—Jack Alexander

Recent Examples of defy from the Web

Many of the sightings turn out to be explainable, the authors say, but a small percentage defy resolution.

— ralph blumenthal, New York Times, "People Are Seeing U.F.O.s Everywhere, and This Book Proves It," 24 Apr. 2017

Origin and Etymology of defy

see ¹defy

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1580

See Words from the same year

DEFY Defined for English Language Learners

defy

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verb

Definition of defy for English Language Learners

: to refuse to obey (something or someone)
: to make (something) very difficult or impossible
: to resist or fight (something)

DEFY Defined for Kids

defy

play

verb de·fy \ di-ˈfī \

Definition of defy for Students

defied; defying

1 :to refuse boldly to obey or yield to

The protesters defied orders to leave.

2 :to challenge to do something thought to be impossible :dare

I defy you to explain the trick.

3 :to resist attempts at :withstand

The scene defies description.

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Origin and Etymology of defy

defy Synonyms

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defy

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