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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 The film, featuring the music of Masekela, Makeba, and Simon, is described as a story of defiance, sacrifice, and the resilience of the human spirit. — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 30 July 2026 Images of defiance were visible in Tehran’s Azadi Square, where weapons reinforced the propaganda. — Zac Anderson, USA Today, 30 July 2026 The emerald green lawns of cheaters now abut the crispy brown grass of the rule-followers — defiance that’s visible for all to see. — Annie Gowen, Washington Post, 29 July 2026 These words demonstrate the righteous defiance in her personality and aquatic life. — Samantha Adams, The Conversation, 29 July 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
  • In several instances these rituals were utilized during slave rebellions; the New York slave rebellion of 1712 reportedly began with a pact sealed in blood and powder, a practice with African religious parallels.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Freedom matters to you more than keeping up with traditions, which is where your financial savviness comes into play, not to mention rebellion.
    — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of rebellion
Noun
  • Villa’s recent warm-up defeat to Bayern Munich, though a 2-1 loss, will have offered a useful gauge of what facing elite opposition demands and should stand them in good stead for the level of intensity this game in Salzburg will require.
    — Dean Jones, New York Times, 11 Aug. 2026
  • While Sacramento city and county officials have voiced opposition, state law limits the ability of local governments to block certain re-entry programs operated as residential homes for up to six people.
    — Carmela Karcher, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of opposition
Noun
  • Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signed a strategic partnership agreement in 2024 that pledged mutual aid if either country faced aggression.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026
  • End the war and aggression against Iran and its allies in Lebanon, Palestine, Yemen, and Iraq forever.
    — Tiago Ventura, Time, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of aggression
Noun
  • Those leaders who ignore or flout the law aren’t merely unethical but fatally arrogant, putting their childish willfulness over the wisdom of generations.
    — David Brooks, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2026
  • Though the Durutti Column had been a disaster, Wilson was fascinated by the guitarist, who admired punk’s willfulness even though his own musical taste tended toward jazz, blues, and the classical tradition.
    — Brad Shoup, Pitchfork, 24 Jan. 2026
Definition of willfulness
Noun
  • The streaming giant is in the fourth year of its exploration of ads, an initiative that reversed more than a decade of resistance to the idea.
    — Dade Hayes, Deadline, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Muscles strengthen through resistance, and bones can become denser through strength training.
    — Simone Lundquist, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of resistance
Noun
  • Video from the Virginia incident, which shows an agent with a gun, has reignited conversations about the aggressiveness of ICE enforcement.
    — Juan Benn Jr, Washington Post, 12 Aug. 2026
  • She’s learned how to channel her competitiveness and aggressiveness in a much better way, a more productive way.
    — Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of aggressiveness
Noun
  • Whether writing five decades ago or today, the genre’s most insightful commentators have always observed how punk fuses rebelliousness with commodification, capitalism with resistance.
    — Kyle Devine, Longreads, 14 July 2026
  • Marji’s rebelliousness, both admirable and terrifying for those who love her, is her salient characteristic.
    — Hillary Chute, The Atlantic, 9 June 2026
Definition of rebelliousness
Noun
  • Fortunately, Gorbachev would drop his objections to SDI in time for both men to sign a landmark treaty in 1987 that abolished all intermediate range nuclear arms in Europe and made the entire world safer.
    — Tom Nichols, The Atlantic, 14 Aug. 2026
  • One man was quick enough to grab his ankle and let out a firm objection, but the foot slipped free from the boot and the houndsman was gone into the tight tunnel full of frantic dogs and furious bear.
    — Paul Schullery, Outdoor Life, 13 Aug. 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 16 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on defiance

Nglish: Translation of defiance for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about defiance

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