Defy

//dɪˈfaɪ// noun, verb

noun, verb ·Common ·High school level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A challenge. obsolete

    "And, safe intrench'd within, her foes without defies"

Verb
  1. 1
    To challenge (someone) or brave (a hazard or opposition). transitive

    "to defy an enemy; to defy the power of a magistrate; to defy the arguments of an opponent; to defy public opinion"

  2. 2
    challenge wordnet
  3. 3
    To refuse to obey. transitive

    "If you defy your teacher you may end up in detention."

  4. 4
    resist or confront with resistance wordnet
  5. 5
    To not conform to or follow a pattern, set of rules or expectations.

    "By tossing this nineteenth electron back and forth between its own orbit and that of its lost companion more than twenty-five thousand times a second, a mutilated stone atom is able partially to defy gravity and thus successfully to ride the emerging streams of light and energy, the sunbeams, to liberty and adventure."

Show 2 more definitions
  1. 6
    elude, especially in a baffling way wordnet
  2. 7
    To renounce or dissolve all bonds of affiance, faith, or obligation with; to reject, refuse, or renounce. obsolete, transitive

    "1603-1625, Beaumont and Fletcher For thee I have defied my constant mistress."

Synonyms

All synonyms
rebelaffrontattackbafflebalkbanter

Example

More examples

"I defy you to solve the problem."

Etymology

From Old French desfier, from Vulgar Latin *disfidare (“renounce one's faith”), from Latin dis- (“away”) + fidus (“faithful”). Meaning shifted in the 14th century from "be disloyal" to "challenge". Contrast confide, fidelity, faith.

Related phrases

death-defyingdefy belief

More for "defy"

SynonymsSentencesPronunciationTranslate

Next best steps

Find stronger synonymsSee usage examplesCheck pronunciationBrowse writing guides

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.