Synonyms

defied

American

[dih-fahyd] / dɪˈfaɪd /

adjective

challenged or resisted boldly or openly; rebelled against.

Both novels end with a degree of reconciliation and acceptance between the defied parent and the wayward child.

verb

the simple past tense and past participle of defy.

Other Word Forms

undefied adjective

Etymology

Origin of defied

First recorded in 1810–20; defy ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. ) for the adjective; defy ( def. ) + -ed ¹ ( def. ) for the verb

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

As head of Simon Property Group, he defied critics who said that malls were dinosaurs.

From The Wall Street Journal

During his more than three decades as Simon Property Group’s chief executive, the inveterate dealmaker gobbled up competitors and defied critics, who said malls were obsolete.

From The Wall Street Journal

Divorced and a single mother, Paul defied those norms.

From The Wall Street Journal

The electric-vehicle maker’s surprise profit defied analyst expectations of a loss, boosting its stock.

From Barron's

The oldest Wong sister might get away with moving out for a few years, but if I defied tradition that way, I’d be cast out for good.

From Literature

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023