defiantly
Americanadverb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of defiantly
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Explanation
If you act defiantly, you’re a rebel. On "Everyone Wear Red" Day, you show up defiantly dressed in head-to-toe blue, or white, or, well, anything but red. Defiantly is an adverb that is linked to the noun defiance which is defined as "bold disobedience." It is one thing to behave badly and hope to get away with it. It is quite another to want to be seen behaving badly — that's action done defiantly: it defies, or openly goes against an order or rule. People who act defiantly might have a good reason — or they might just want attention.
Vocabulary lists containing defiantly
"The Lottery," Vocabulary from the short story
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"The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson
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This Week in Pop Culture : January 5 - 11, 2019
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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.
Ebra grins mischievously, almost defiantly, and they begin to prep for an unpredictable day of service that plays out over seven of the season’s eight episodes.
From Salon ● Jun. 28, 2026
He was arguing defiantly he would carry on, but that defiance drained away as it became clear his capacity to viably govern was deserting him.
From BBC ● Jun. 22, 2026
González developed her classic yet defiantly modern approach while studying at the University of Seville, where Spanish masters such as Diego Velázquez and Francisco de Zurbarán painted in the naturalist Baroque tradition.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 19, 2026
But it’s also true that an authoritative news media, defiantly standing as the guardian of the public space against provable, demonstrable lies, can be a check against it.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 28, 2026
His funny little baby-round chin was sticking out defiantly and his black eyes glared.
From "The Egypt Game" by Zilpha Keatley Snyder
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.
