defy

play

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

Trump loves defying conventional wisdom — including that of his own aides.

— callum borchers, Washington Post, "Why Trump gave the Jeff Sessions scoop to the ‘failing’ New York Times," 20 July 2017
Einstein condensates not actually robust In the movie Spectral, the ultra-cold condensates swirl around, kill people by freezing them from the inside, and defy any attempts to destroy them with conventional weapons.

— thilo stöferle, Ars Technica, "The science of Spectral: Is that really how Bose–Einstein condensate behaves?," 18 July 2017
In her complaint, Strahler says Kobach defied orders from U.S. District Court Judge Julie Robinson and that a contempt hearing was scheduled but later canceled.

— jonathan shorman, kansascity, "Kansas agency to investigate allegations of misconduct against Kobach," 17 July 2017
Twenty years removed from her Wimbledon debut, ageless Venus Williams defied the odds and reached the tournament final with a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Britain’s best player, Johanna Konta.

— michelle kaufman, miamiherald, "Twenty years after her debut, Venus Williams, 37, reaches ninth Wimbledon final," 13 July 2017
The seizures defy medical cure, and some of them continue for weeks, requiring Aidan to be airlifted to children’s hospitals in Denver or Seattle, said his father, Ben Long.

— jordan rau, Kaiser Health News, "Millions Of Kids Fall Outside Senate Plan To Shield Disabled From Medicaid Cuts," 10 July 2017
The Ravens have seen a player defy some doctors’ orders and return after a life-changing injury before: tight end Dennis Pitta, who had fractured his hip twice in 2013-14.

— andy benoit, The MMQB, "pic.twitter.com/GWuJvRTLPY," 10 July 2017
During these difficult days, may we all be blessed with love that defies the rule.

— rabbi avi weiss, Jewish Journal, "Weiss: The power of love to conquer hatred," 3 July 2017
That’s borderline star territory, great news for an Angels club that continues to defy expectations with Mike Trout still missing in action. 12.

— SI.com, "13. Los Angeles Angels (43–43, minus-8, LT: 15)," 2 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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

defy

play

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

play

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.