defy
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defy
- /dɪˈfaɪ/
Rhymes with -aɪ
Where it comes from
From Old French desfier, from Vulgar Latin *disfidare (“renounce one's faith”), from Latin dis- (“away”) + fidus (“faithful”). Meaning shifted in the 14th century from "be disloyal" to "challenge". Contrast confide, fidelity, faith.
verb defies · defying · defied
- To challenge (someone) or brave (a hazard or opposition). to defy an enemy; to defy the power of a magistrate; to defy the arguments of an opponent; to defy public opinion
- To refuse to obey. If you defy your teacher you may end up in detention.
- To not conform to or follow a pattern, set of rules or expectations. By tossing this nineteenth electron back and forth between its own orbit and that of its lost companion more than twenty-five thousand times a second, a mutilated stone atom is able partially to defy gravity and thus successfully to ride the emerging streams of light and energy, the sunbeams, to lib
- To renounce or dissolve all bonds of affiance, faith, or obligation with; to reject, refuse, or renounce. 1603-1625, Beaumont and Fletcher For thee I have defied my constant mistress.
noun defies
- A challenge. And, safe intrench'd within, her foes without defies
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: dare, resist, withstand, hold up, refuse, hold, defiant, flout, brave, oppose, scorn, challenge, sass, deny, despise, shirk
Translations
Every language
verb to challenge (someone)
| Español | desafiar |
|---|---|
| Português | desafiar |
| Deutsch | herausfordern, die Stirn bieten, entgegentreten |
| Italiano | sfidare |
verb to provoke to combat or strife
| Español | desafiar |
|---|---|
| Português | desafiar |
| Français | défier |
| Deutsch | herausfordern |
| Italiano | sfidare |
| Română | sfida |
| Русский | броса́ть вы́зов brosátʹ výzov |
verb to refuse to obey
| Português | desobedecer |
|---|---|
| Français | désobéir à |
| Deutsch | trotzen, widersetzen, querstellen |
verb to not conform to or follow a pattern, set of rules or expectations
| Deutsch | widersetzen |
|---|
verb to renounce or dissolve all bonds
| Español | desafiar |
|---|---|
| 中文 | 抗拒 kàngjù |
| Português | renunciar |
| Deutsch | lossagen, abschwören |
| Italiano | abiurare |
| Русский | пренебрега́ть prenebregátʹ, попира́ть popirátʹ |
noun challenge
| Español | desafío |
|---|
Talk about this word "defy." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/defy. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. defy. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/defy "defy." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/defy.Cite this
@misc{defy_2026,
title = {defy},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/defy},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
