Defy Definition
dĭ-fī
defied, defies, defying
verb
defied, defies, defying
To resist or oppose boldly or openly.
Webster's New World
To refuse to submit to or cooperate with.
Defied the court order by leaving the country.
American Heritage
To resist completely in a baffling way.
The puzzle defied solution.
Webster's New World
To be beyond the application or scope of; be contrary or resistant to.
An act that defies explanation; a problem that defies any conventional approach.
American Heritage
To dare (someone) to do or prove something.
Webster's New World
Synonyms:
noun
A defiance or challenge.
Webster's New World
Origin of Defy
-
From Old French desfier, from Vulgar Latin *disfidare (“renounce one's faith”), from Latin dis- (“away”) + fidus (“faithful”). Meaning shifted 14c. from "be disloyal" to "challenge."
From Wiktionary
-
Middle English defien from Old French desfier from Vulgar Latin disfīdāre Latin dis- dis- Latin fīdus faithful bheidh- in Indo-European roots
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
Find Similar Words
Find similar words to defy using the buttons below.