defies; defied; defying
1
: to refuse to obey (something or someone)
She defied her parents and dropped out of school.
2
: to make (something) very difficult or impossible
The article defies a simple summary. [=the article cannot be explained by a simple summary]
views of nature that defy belief/description [=that are hard to believe/describe]
3
: to resist or fight (something)
The group has continued to defy all efforts to stop them.
4
: to go against (something)
The team defied the odds [=did something that was very unlikely] and won the championship.
an explanation that defies all logic [=an explanation that does not make any sense]
5
: to tell (someone) to do something that you think cannot be done
I defy you to prove that I lied.
I defy anyone to name a better film. [=I do not think that anyone can name a better film; I do not think that there is a better film]
Cite this Entry
“Defy.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/defy. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.
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