First Known Use: 14th century
Dictionary
1defy
verb de·fy \di-ˈfī, dē-\
: to refuse to obey (something or someone)
: to make (something) very difficult or impossible
: to resist or fight (something)
de·fiedde·fy·ing
Full Definition of DEFY
transitive verb
1
archaic : to challenge to combat
2
: to challenge to do something considered impossible : dare
3
: to confront with assured power of resistance : disregard <defy public opinion>
4
: to resist attempts at : withstand <the paintings defy classification>
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Origin of DEFY
Middle English, to renounce faith in, challenge, from Anglo-French desfier, defier, from des- de- + fier to entrust, from Vulgar Latin *fidare, alteration of Latin fidere to trust — more at bide
Related to DEFY
- Synonyms
- disobey, mock, rebel (against)
- Antonyms
- comply (with), conform (to), follow, mind, obey
Rhymes with DEFY
aby, agley, air-dry, Alai, ally, Altai, anti, apply, assai, awry, aye-aye, Bacchae, Baha'i, banzai, barfly, bee fly, Belgae, belie, bigeye, big lie, black eye, blackfly, black tie, blow-dry, blowby, blowfly, blue-sky, Bo Hai, bone-dry, bonsai, botfly, Brunei, buckeye, bugeye, bye-bye, canaille, catchfly, cat's-eye, Chennai, chess pie, Chiang Mai, cockeye, cockshy, come by, comply, cow pie, crane fly, cross-eye, deadeye, decry, deep-fry, deep-sky, deerfly, Delphi, deny, descry, do by, dong quai, drip-dry, drop by, dry eye, dry fly, elhi, Eli, espy, face fly, firefly, fish-eye, flesh fly, flyby, fly high, forby, freeze-dry, frogeye, fruit fly, gadfly, gallfly, get by, GI, glass eye, go by, good-bye, greenfly, grisaille, gun-shy, Haggai, Hawkeye, heel fly, hereby, hi-fi, hog-tie, horn fly, horsefly, housefly, imply, jai alai, July, Karzai, Kasai, knee-high, lanai, Lanai, lay-by, lay by, Lehigh, let fly, Levi, lie by, magpie, mai tai, mao-tai, Masai, mayfly, medfly, mind's eye, Moirai, mooneye, Mumbai, my eye, nearby, necktie, nilgai, nisi, outbye, outcry, oxeye, pad thai, Panay, panfry, Parcae, piece-dye, pigsty, pinkeye, Po Hai, pop eye, pop fly, potpie, put by, Qinghai, quasi, rabbi, red-eye, rely, reply, rib eye, ride high, rocaille, rough-dry, run dry, Sakai, sand fly, sci-fi, screw eye, semi, Sendai, serai, set by, shanghai, Shanghai, sheep's eye, shoofly, shut-eye, Sinai, sky-high, small-fry, stand by, standby, stir-fry, string tie, supply, swear by, terai, test-fly, thereby, tie-dye, titi, tongue-tie, Transkei, twist tie, two-ply, untie, vat dye, Versailles, walleye, well-nigh, whereby, whitefly, wild rye, wise guy
2defy
noun de·fy \di-ˈfī, ˈdē-ˌ\
plural defies
DEFY Defined for Kids
defy
verb de·fy \di-ˈfī\
de·fiedde·fy·ing
Definition of DEFY for Kids
1
: to refuse boldly to obey or yield to <The protesters defied orders to leave.>
2
: to challenge to do something thought to be impossible : dare <I defy you to explain the trick.>
3
: to resist attempts at : withstand <The scene defies description.>
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