defiance

¹ American  

[dih-fahy-uhns] / dɪˈfaɪ əns /

noun

1. a daring or bold resistance to authority or to any opposing force.

2. open disregard; contempt (often followed byof ).

   defiance of danger; His refusal amounted to defiance.

3. a challenge to meet in combat or in a contest.

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idioms

1. bid defiance to, to offer resistance; defy.

2. in defiance of, in spite of; notwithstanding.

   There was a splendid audience in defiance of the rainstorm.

Defiance ² American  

[dih-fahy-uhns] / dɪˈfaɪ əns /

noun

1. a city in NW Ohio.

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defiance British  

/ dɪˈfaɪəns /

noun

1. open or bold resistance to or disregard for authority, opposition, or power

2. a challenging attitude or behaviour; challenge

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defiance More Idioms  

1. see in defiance of.

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Other Word Forms

• nondefiance noun
• predefiance noun

Etymology

Origin of defiance

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English, from Old French; equivalent to defy + -ance

Example Sentences

Energised by her act of defiance, Ridings spent a year in Los Angeles, writing her way out of despair.

From BBC

The dam, which is 30% complete, was meant to be an architectural centerpiece—bowing outward, in defiance of standard engineering in which dams arc inward.

From The Wall Street Journal

And an underdog who stayed in the contest in defiance of steep odds and, seemingly, common sense.

From Los Angeles Times

That message of defiance wasn’t delivered by Khamenei himself: It was read out on state television by a female news anchor.

From The Wall Street Journal

“We feel deeply that this is an open defiance and trampling of justice and the rule of law,” representatives of Zion Church said in a letter this week.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• confrontation
• contempt
• opposition
• provocation
• rebellion
• spite