defiance
English · Thesaurus
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defiance¹
- /dɪˈfaɪ(j)əns/ UK
Rhymes with -aɪəns
Where it comes from
From Middle English defiaunce, from Old French desfiance, from desfier. By surface analysis, defy + -ance.
noun defiances
- The feeling, or spirit of being defiant. But Sophia's mother was not the woman to brook defiance. After a few moments' vain remonstrance her husband complied. His manner and appearance were suggestive of a satiated sea-lion.
- Open or bold resistance to or disregard for authority, opposition, or power; refusing to give up. Ambassador Udina: The other species are scared. They've never faced anything like this before and they don't know what to do. They want us to step forward. They believe in humanity because of you. Ambassador Udina: Your ruthless pursuit of Saren and the geth, your defiance of the Council -- that's w
- A challenging attitude or behaviour; challenge.
Defiance²
proper noun
- A small city in Shelby County, Iowa, United States.
- An unincorporated community in Perry County, Kentucky, United States.
- An unincorporated community in St. Charles County, Missouri, United States.
- A former community in Worth County, Missouri.
- A city, the county seat of Defiance County, Ohio, United States. Named after Fort Defiance.
- An unincorporated community and census-designated place in Bedford County, Pennsylvania, United States.
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: rebelliousness, defiant, flouting, violation, challenging, resistance, infringement, insolence, misdemeanour, disobedience, contempt, scorn, contravention, suspicion, disdain, derision
Translations
Every language
noun the feeling of being defiant
| Español | desafío, desafiamiento |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | 反抗 hankō, 無視 mushi |
| 中文 | 反抗 fǎnkàng, 蔑視 /蔑视 mièshì |
| Português | desafio |
| Français | défi |
| Deutsch | Trotz, Auflehnung, Widerstand |
| Italiano | sfida |
| Русский | непоко́рство nepokórstvo, неповинове́ние nepovinovénije, пренебреже́ние prenebrežénije |
noun open resistance to authority, opposition, or power
| Español | desafío, desafiamiento |
|---|---|
| Deutsch | offener Ungehorsam, Widersetzung |
noun challenging attitude or behaviour; challenge
| Deutsch | anstrengendes Verhalten, problematische Haltung, Herausforderung |
|---|
Talk about this word "defiance." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/defiance. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. defiance. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/defiance "defiance." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/defiance.Cite this
@misc{defiance_2026,
title = {defiance},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/defiance},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
