defiant
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of defiant
First recorded in 1830–40; from French défiant, Old French, present participle of defier “to challenge, defy”; see defy, -ant
Explanation
Have you ever seen a picture of a protester who is about to be carried off by police but is still shouting or resisting, fighting to the bitter end? That person is defiant. Someone who is defiant is bold, even in the face of defeat. A defiant person is usually fighting a powerful enemy. People who protest in countries controlled by dictators are defiant. Rosa Parks was defiant when she refused to give up her seat on the bus, even though the law at that time dictated that black people had to stand when whites needed a seat. Small children are defiant too, sometimes over nothing more than a request to share their toys.
Vocabulary lists containing defiant
List 3
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
ACT Reading Test: Words to Capture Tone, List 2
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Commonly Misspelled Words, List 1
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
In the 2011 hit film “Lemonade Mouth,” Scott rose as a massive standout, notably with her defiant, high-energy performance of the pop-rock ballad “She’s So Gone.”
From Salon • Jun. 5, 2026
Publicly, she has taken a defiant stance in the face of U.S. allegations that Mexico is “controlled” by cartels.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 3, 2026
Breika remains defiant: "We hope Morocco understands that investing in tourism or any other economical projects does not replace the will of Sahrawis people and its inalienable right to decide its future."
From BBC • May 24, 2026
He reportedly realized that war with Iraq was inevitable when watching a defiant press conference on CNN by Iraqi official Tariq Aziz.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026
She came out looking defiant and said, “I told them that Grandma hit you with a spoon and that she made me taste hot sauce when I didn’t want to.”
From "Three Little Words: A Memoir" by Ashley Rhodes-Courter
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
