defiance

noun

di-ˈfī-ən(t)s How to pronounce defiance (audio)
Definition of defiancenext
1
as in rebellion
refusal to obey any defiance of the authoritarian regime would have dire consequences

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in opposition
the inclination to resist the troubled youth seems to have an ingrained defiance to authority of any sort

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3
as in aggression
an inclination to fight or quarrel a deeply troubled person who seemed the very soul of defiance

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of defiance This hint of connection between them is later made concrete when, at the demonstration, the two are complicit in an act of defiance — throwing a cobblestone at a policeman, badly injuring him — and must skip town for the night. — Guy Lodge, Variety, 27 Oct. 2026 These behaviors can be signals of distress but may be mistaken for defiance. — Jermaine F. Williams, Baltimore Sun, 27 Oct. 2026 In a funny nod to The Great Escape, this Jason spends his solitary confinement bouncing a ball against the wall in defiance of his keepers. — Scott Tobias, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2026 These women — cradle Catholics and converts, former nuns, teachers, hospice chaplains, counselors, spouses, mothers, grandmothers — say their defiance is the fulfillment of a vocation, no different than the call answered by their male counterparts. — Jonathan Bullington, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for defiance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defiance
  1. rebellion
  2. opposition
  3. aggression
  4. willfulness
  5. resistance
  6. aggressiveness
  7. rebelliousness
  8. objection
Noun
  • The pope will celebrate Mass in Cusco’s main square, where in 1781 the Indigenous hero Túpac Amaru II was killed following the most significant rebellion against the Spanish during the colonial era.
    — Luis Andres Henao, Chicago Tribune, 11 Nov. 2026
  • The pope will celebrate Mass in Cuzco’s main square, where in 1781 the Indigenous hero Túpac Amaru II was killed after the most significant rebellion against the Spanish during the colonial era.
    — Nicole Winfield, Los Angeles Times, 11 Nov. 2026
Definition of rebellion
Noun
  • Waymo operates commercially in 15 US cities, but has faced opposition from labor unions, ride-hailing giants such as Uber and Lyft, and various AI-skeptical groups and pedestrian safety advocates.
    — Max Tani, semafor.com, 9 Nov. 2026
  • Two Columbia University Apartheid Divest activists, bemoaning their opposition, coauthored a June 2024 opinion article signaling overlap with the police abolition movement.
    — Hudson Crozier, The Washington Examiner, 9 Nov. 2026
Definition of opposition
Noun
  • UConn, perhaps feeding off the homecourt-like vibes in the building, maintained a blend of poise and aggression.
    — Matt Langone, Boston Herald, 7 Nov. 2026
  • This brain area is known to be involved in fear and defense responses and aggression.
    — Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of aggression
Noun
  • And from that boredom, a different kind of will, the willfulness that accompanies a need to destroy that happiness.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2026
  • From grandmother to grandchild, these three sets of two sisters were powerful characters possessed with passion, willfulness, bravery, and devotion to each other.
    — Griffin Dunne, Vanity Fair, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of willfulness
Noun
  • According to the study, longer hydrocarbons were associated with greater dehydration resistance.
    — Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 7 Nov. 2026
  • Kansas City’s offense has taken a step back with injury woes at receiver and defenses bottling up Kenneth Walker III, but Gang Green should offer far less resistance than Seattle and Denver did in the last two weeks.
    — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of resistance
Noun
  • Shingleton had four quarterback hits including two sacks as Hart struggled to match the Royals’ aggressiveness at the line of scrimmage.
    — Ethan Hanson, Daily News, 7 Nov. 2026
  • Tight end Isaiah Likely said Harbaugh’s aggressiveness to add to the roster is welcome considering what the team has shown so far.
    — Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of aggressiveness
Noun
  • That’s great news for Vanguart’s four cofounders, who established the company in 2018 with a wealth of experience, if not some serious horological rebelliousness.
    — Rachel Ingram, Robb Report, 18 Oct. 2026
  • The stigma helped imprint a stamp of rebelliousness on the brand which lives on today, says Carpenter, even as Burton has become a fixture on resort slopes across the world and within the annals of Olympian history.
    — Tom Huddleston Jr., CNBC, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of rebelliousness
Noun
  • The work was temporarily delayed by objections raised by the Georgia Ports Authority, part of a long-running feud between GPA leaders and Dulany.
    — Adam Van Brimmer, AJC.com, 11 Nov. 2026
  • The standard objection is that ordinary citizens do not read disclosures.
    — Tal Feldman, Foreign Affairs, 11 Nov. 2026
Definition of objection

Phrases Containing defiance

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defer (to)
defiance
defiances
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Cite this Entry

“Defiance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defiance. Accessed 13 Nov. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on defiance

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about defiance

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