1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 Top Republican and Democratic members of the panel condemned Black’s defiance and are weighing whether to hold him in contempt of Congress, a move that could expose him to criminal prosecution. — Joey Cappelletti, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026 Even in that moment of defiance, though, he is drawn back toward his actual father. — Christopher Cox, Vanity Fair, 26 Aug. 2026 Since then, mayoral defiance of the legal obligations to enforce the council’s budget has left the city financially short of that modest projection. — Joe Ferguson, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026 Despite the drumbeat of warnings and sporadic enforcement, there is widespread defiance of official regulations, especially among young Iranian women. — Tim Lister, CNN Money, 23 Aug. 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
  • Meanwhile, Yudkowsky took such tropes of rebellion and rule-breaking and built a philosophical apparatus around them.
    — Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 15 Sep. 2026
  • The Uprising’s final act does get unwieldy, as the director tries to show just how the rebellion was betrayed.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of rebellion
Noun
  • Now, with growing bipartisan opposition to the rapid buildout of data centers suggest that even ordinary residents of communities and voters have increased power to help pace the frontier from the bottom up.
    — Bhaskar Chakravorti, Fortune, 20 Sep. 2026
  • Ukraine's latest drone strikes took place on the final day of Russia’s first wartime parliamentary election — balloting that has been virtually devoid of opposition to President Vladimir Putin’s policies.
    — Eric Mack, FOXNews.com, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of opposition
Noun
  • That was the most glaring example of the gulf between the two teams in terms of duels, aggression and general competitiveness.
    — Chris Waugh, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026
  • The savage purge since June of high-momentum stocks – dominated by AI hardware and related industrials – has sapped the bullish aggression of traders, helping to reset tactical sentiment toward a more neutral level.
    — Michael Santoli, CNBC, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of aggression
Noun
  • 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
  • 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
Definition of willfulness
Noun
  • The approach combines automotive-grade aluminum sheet with surface treatments designed to improve corrosion resistance and formability.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 19 Sep. 2026
  • Delivery robots have been operating in Chicago through a pilot program, and the rollout has already faced resistance from some residents.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of resistance
Noun
  • Indeed, heads quickly began to turn as the Chicago Bears defensive tackle showed no fear and an abundance of aggressiveness.
    — Dan Wiederer, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Is the nation’s vaunted politeness actually just passive-aggressiveness?
    — Judith Martin, Mercury News, 5 Sep. 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
  • Plan for the content of the meeting, including the objections, concerns and reservations people may bring.
    — Inga Bielińska, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2026
  • The other objection, pressed by organized labor, is that collective bargaining should fix all of this.
    — Lamell J. McMorris, Sportico.com, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of objection

Phrases Containing defiance

Browse Nearby Words

defer (to)
defiance
defiances
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Defiance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defiance. Accessed 22 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on defiance

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about defiance

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of nemesis

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?
See More

Popular

See More

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
crayons-in-a-circle
Guess the Color Quiz Questions that use the whole box of crayons.
See All