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 Each time the answer is a concoction of equal parts indignation, defense, agitation, and defiance. — Literary Hub, 21 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 In bleak moments under previous coach Ruben Amorim, his name was sung, almost in defiance. — Laurie Whitwell, New York Times, 13 Oct. 2026 Taking the Long Way, more than anger or defiance, zeroes in on the sting of being ousted from your own home. — Shaad D’souza, Pitchfork, 11 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
  • In Fitzgerald’s heyday, barely-there bobs were a symbol of youth, rebellion, and liberation.
    — Molly Mulshine, InStyle, 30 Oct. 2026
  • As the competition unfolds, Haymitch risks everything to take down the Games from within the arena — setting in motion the rebellion that will change Panem forever.
    — Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of rebellion
Noun
  • In the string of cases, Elias Law Group represented various voting rights groups and nonprofit organizations, rather than the states themselves, though the firm’s intervention strategy has helped the legal opposition.
    — Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Meanwhile, Rodríguez is already signaling an interest in working with Washington, despite some of her public rhetoric, tapping former opposition aide Oliver Blanco as foreign minister.
    — Shelby Talcott, semafor.com, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of opposition
Noun
  • The government had been lobbying for such an arrangement for months, framed largely around the threat of Russian aggression against NATO’s Eastern border.
    — Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 4 Nov. 2026
  • Rather it is aimed at helping Ukraine deter future Russian aggression, said Bateman, the force commander.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 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
  • By understanding how these products evolve and diversify in bacteria, scientists might be able to tackle current resistance that humans have developed to some of the antibiotics that exist.
    — Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2026
  • In the hills surrounding Taiz, the government forces are trying to repel the Houthis but face stiff resistance, especially east of the city.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of resistance
Noun
  • Furthermore, CNNs are exceeding in disease detection and predicting disease aggressiveness and patient prognosis.
    — Esha Desai, Hartford Courant, 4 Oct. 2026
  • So will the aggressiveness of the defender after giving up a rebound.
    — Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 1 Oct. 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
  • De Niro is joined by Ariana DeBose, Helen Mirren, Emma Thompson, Julia Roberts, Scarlett Johansson, Vince Gilligan, Rosario Dawson, Dan Levy, Anne Hathaway and more in his objection to his work being high-tech feasting fodder.
    — Dominic Patten, Deadline, 3 Nov. 2026
  • Following an objection from the defense, Krol did not divulge any more about the content of what Ringquist had sent.
    — Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 3 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 7 Nov. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on defiance

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about defiance

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