defy
Americanverb (used with object)
-
defies,
present (3rd person singular)
-
defied,
past participle, past
-
defying
present participle
-
to challenge the power of; resist boldly or openly.
Love drives the characters to ignore their family feud and defy parental authority.
The artist defies conventional categories by blending very different styles in her work.
-
to offer effective resistance to; make virtually impossible.
Their strategic position is helped by having a fort that defies attack.
The facts were so complex that they defied simple explanation.
-
to challenge (a person) to do something deemed impossible.
They defied him to dive off the bridge.
-
Archaic. to challenge to a combat or contest.
noun
-
defies
plural
verb
-
to resist (a powerful person, authority, etc) openly and boldly
-
to elude, esp in a baffling way
his actions defy explanation
-
formal to challenge or provoke (someone to do something judged to be impossible); dare
I defy you to climb that cliff
-
archaic to invite to do battle or combat
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
defiernoun
-
predefyverb (used with object)
-
redefyverb (used with object)
-
defiableadjective
-
undefiableadjective
-
defyinglyadverb
-
undefiablyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
defysimple
-
defiessimple
-
have defiedperfect
-
has defiedperfect
-
am defyingprogressive
-
are defyingprogressive
-
is defyingprogressive
-
have been defyingperfect progressive
-
has been defyingperfect progressive
Past
-
defiedsimple
-
had defiedperfect
-
was defyingprogressive
-
were defyingprogressive
-
had been defyingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of defy
First recorded in 1250–1300; from Middle English defien, Old French desfier, from des- dis- 1 + fier “to trust” (from Vulgar Latin fīdāre (unrecorded), from Latin fīdere; cf. fidelity ( def. ))
Explanation
To defy is to openly refuse to do something. You can defy the no-costumes-in-class rule if you wear your fairy wings to school, but just don’t try to defy the laws of gravity unless you can actually fly. If you deliberately break a rule or ignore an order, you defy, or resist, that rule. The word defy comes from the Latin word disfidare for "renounce one's faith." So if you're expected to be faithful to a certain law or rule but you refuse to be, you defy it. There are different ways to defy — defy your parents by staying out past curfew, or defy common sense by walking in with shoes on your head.
Vocabulary lists containing defy
The Cay
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!
I Am Malala
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!
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
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.
See Examples For:
The administration did not defy the tax laws.
From Slate ● Aug. 10, 2026
Leverkus' group is not officially recognised by BC's government, and what it is trying to achieve highlights simmering tensions in fire-prone regions between those who enforce evacuation orders and those who defy them.
From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2026
Since Kiki’s abilities allow her to defy gravity, she runs packages across town, avoiding auto traffic and pedestrian crowds.
From Salon ● Jul. 30, 2026
Discount brokers don’t like to talk about how many customers defy the odds, but Peterffy’s firm provided an intriguing clue via an advertisement.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
The convoluted syntax, multiple negatives, indefinite antecedents, and masterful circumlocutions of this statement defy comprehension.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
So singular that it all but defies any kind of tea-leaf-reading or, heaven forbid, attempts at replication.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026
Because it was his favorite kind of question: one that is simple to state yet defies a simple answer.
From Slate ● Jun. 22, 2026
The seven love songs feature melodramatic storylines, and though the album has a strong dance feel, it defies category and remains a cult classic.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 15, 2026
There is always at least one team that defies the odds and emerges as the surprise package of a World Cup.
From BBC ● Jun. 14, 2026
I read somewhere, once, that crying defies scientific explanation.
From "Insurgent" by Veronica Roth
The stock market shuddered Thursday after investors resumed a weekslong bond selloff that has defied the Treasury Department’s attempts to curb borrowing costs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026
But she also defied the industry tendency to pigeonhole performers based on the breakout success of characters like Claire Bennet.
From Salon ● Aug. 19, 2026
His films so strongly defied categorization that they necessitated an eponymous term: Lynchian.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026
Earlier, thousands of demonstrators defied a massive police presence and braved wind and rain to gather without incident.
From Barron's ● Aug. 7, 2026
There were so many basic things that defied her presumptions.
From "Zeitoun" by Dave Eggers
The inventory increase marked the third consecutive weekly build, defying analyst expectations of a 1.6 million barrel decline.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026
Sales at retailers dropped 0.6% last month, the government said Thursday, defying Wall Street’s forecast of a small increase.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 14, 2026
They included General Dietrich von Choltitz, the last Nazi commander in Paris, who arrived in late August 1944 after defying Hitler and surrendering the city.
From Barron's ● Aug. 5, 2026
O’Hearn accused the government of defying her orders when, instead of releasing the man, Immigration and Customs Enforcement transferred him to a different facility in New York.
From Salon ● Jul. 30, 2026
I watched it plunge on, eating up the road, defying those curves.
From "Walk Two Moons" by Sharon Creech
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.
