defy
Also found in: Thesaurus, Acronyms, Idioms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.
de·fy
(dĭ-fī′)tr.v. de·fied, de·fy·ing, de·fies
1.
a. To oppose or resist with boldness and assurance: defied the blockade by sailing straight through it.
b. To refuse to submit to or cooperate with: defied the court order by leaving the country.
2. To be beyond the application or scope of; be contrary or resistant to: an act that defies explanation; a problem that defies any conventional approach.
3. To challenge or dare (someone) to do something: She defied her accusers to prove their charges.
[Middle English defien, from Old French desfier, from Vulgar Latin *disfīdāre : Latin dis-, dis- + Latin fīdus, faithful; see bheidh- in Indo-European roots.]
Synonyms: defy, brave, dare, face
These verbs mean to confront boldly and courageously: a writer who defied the wrath of the authorities; a composer braving all criticism; explorers who dared the unknown; sailors who faced the dangers of the storm squarely.
These verbs mean to confront boldly and courageously: a writer who defied the wrath of the authorities; a composer braving all criticism; explorers who dared the unknown; sailors who faced the dangers of the storm squarely.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
defy
(dɪˈfaɪ)vb (tr) , -fies, -fying or -fied
1. to resist (a powerful person, authority, etc) openly and boldly
2. to elude, esp in a baffling way: his actions defy explanation.
3. formal to challenge or provoke (someone to do something judged to be impossible); dare: I defy you to climb that cliff.
4. (Military) archaic to invite to do battle or combat
[C14: from Old French desfier, from des- de- + fier to trust, from Latin fīdere]
deˈfier n
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
de•fy
(v. dɪˈfaɪ; n. also ˈdi faɪ)v. -fied, -fy•ing, v.t.
1. to challenge the power of; resist boldly or openly.
2. to offer effective resistance to: This fort defies attack.
3. to challenge (a person) to do something deemed impossible.
[1250–1300; Middle English < Old French desfier=des- dis-1 + fier to trust < Vulgar Latin *fīdāre, variant of Latin fīdere]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
defy
Past participle: defied
Gerund: defying
| Imperative |
|---|
| defy |
| defy |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
| Verb | 1. | defy - resist or confront with resistance; "The politician defied public opinion"; "The new material withstands even the greatest wear and tear"; "The bridge held" |
| 2. | defy - elude, especially in a baffling way; "This behavior defies explanation" beggar - be beyond the resources of; "This beggars description!" elude, escape - be incomprehensible to; escape understanding by; "What you are seeing in him eludes me" lend oneself, apply - be applicable to; as to an analysis; "This theory lends itself well to our new data" | |
| 3. | defy - challenge; "I dare you!" brazen - face with defiance or impudence; "brazen it out" challenge - issue a challenge to; "Fischer challenged Spassky to a match" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
defy
verb
1. resist, oppose, confront, face, brave, beard, disregard, stand up to, spurn, flout, disobey, hold out against, put up a fight (against), hurl defiance at, contemn This was the first time that I had dared to defy her.
2. challenge, dare, provoke, throw down the gauntlet He defied me to come up with a better idea.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
defy
verb1. To confront boldly and courageously:
2. To refuse or fail to obey:
Idiom: pay no attention to.
3. To call on another to do something requiring boldness:
Idiom: throw down the gauntlet.
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
TranslationsSelect a language:
Spanish / Español
defy
[dɪˈfaɪ] VT2. (= refuse to obey) [+ person] → desobedecer, enfrentarse a; [+ order] → contravenir
3. (= fly in the face of) it defies definition → se escapa a toda definición
it defies description → resulta imposible describirlo, es indescriptible
to defy gravity → desafiar la ley de la gravedad
people defied the bad weather to get away for Easter → a pesar del mal tiempo, la gente salió de vacaciones durante la Semana Santa
to defy death (= face without fear) → desafiar a la muerte; (= narrowly escape) → escapar de una muerte segura
it defies description → resulta imposible describirlo, es indescriptible
to defy gravity → desafiar la ley de la gravedad
people defied the bad weather to get away for Easter → a pesar del mal tiempo, la gente salió de vacaciones durante la Semana Santa
to defy death (= face without fear) → desafiar a la muerte; (= narrowly escape) → escapar de una muerte segura
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
defy
(diˈfai) verb1. to dare (someone to act); to challenge. I defy you to try and stop me!desafiar
2. to resist boldly or openly. Are you defying my authority?desafiar
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.