defy

1 of 2

verb

de·​fy di-ˈfī How to pronounce defy (audio)
dē-
defied; defying

transitive verb

1
: to confront with assured power of resistance : disregard
defy public opinion
in trouble for defying a court order
2
: to resist attempts at : withstand
the paintings defy classification
a decision that defies all logic
3
: to challenge to do something considered impossible : dare
defied us to name a better movie
4
archaic : to challenge to combat

defy

2 of 2

noun

plural defies
: challenge, defiance
observers took this to be a form of defyJack Alexander

Examples of defy in a Sentence

Verb She defied her parents and dropped out of school. The group has continued to defy all efforts to stop them.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Alexander was confined to the machine for the next seven decades but defied expectations by becoming a lawyer and author. Alexandra Banner, CNN, 14 Mar. 2024 His mere presence may not only be defying expectations of long-time fans, but even of himself. Jenna Wang, Peoplemag, 14 Mar. 2024 At 67, Grier is defying the entertainment industry’s ageism by being busier than ever. Julie Hinds, Detroit Free Press, 14 Mar. 2024 All these little riddles funnel into the big one: In rap music, words perpetually become sounds in ways that can defy their meanings. Chris Richards, Washington Post, 8 Mar. 2024 In the Vice-Presidency, Biden took bristly pride in defying the political wisdom of younger advisers. Evan Osnos, The New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2024 Nigerian star defied him and rewrote the record books That set up a rematch with Ivory Coast at Alassane Ouattara Stadium. Callum Sutherland, CNN, 4 Mar. 2024 By staying true to its values, fostering genuine connections, and prioritizing the well-being of both clients and employees, JBC has not only defied the odds of small business success ten years in, but also redefined what that success can look like. Amy Shoenthal, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 The works defied explanation — especially by Mr. Way, who was on and off schizophrenia medication and who also struggled with cocaine abuse. Michael S. Rosenwald, New York Times, 1 Mar. 2024
Noun
There are also vehicles that kind of defy trailering, at least under normal circumstances, like the old U.S. military Unimog (pictured above), complete with a hydraulic front-end loader. Sebastian Blanco, Car and Driver, 8 Jan. 2023 Over the past few years, astronomers have uncovered about a dozen objects in the distant solar system that defy expectations. Jake Parks, Discover Magazine, 4 Oct. 2019 But so many gathering places in New York City defy categorization. Karrie Jacobs, Curbed, 18 July 2022 Ciara and Andreas defy categorization by being other worldly good looking with chaotic neutral personalities. Brian Moylan, Vulture, 14 Feb. 2022 Can Christian Pulisic — if healthy — and the young American squad defy odds again and knock off a soccer superpower in the Netherlands? Chris Ilenstine, Chicago Tribune, 2 Dec. 2022 The financial inclusivity scores for the U.S. defy categorization. Byseema Shah, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2022 But Curry has done nothing but defy odds his entire career. Gary Washburn, BostonGlobe.com, 24 Sep. 2022 The challenge for Democrats will be to maintain the energy for several more months and defy trends that typically trip up the party in power. Steve Peoples, Chicago Tribune, 3 Aug. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'defy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English defien "to renounce, disavow, scorn, challenge to fight," borrowed from Anglo-French defier, desfier, from de-, des- de- + fier "to pledge, trust in, rely on," going back to Vulgar Latin *fīdāre, re-formation of Latin fīdere "to trust (in), have confidence (in)" — more at faith entry 1

Note: The sense history was perhaps "to break faith with" > "to scorn" > "to challenge to a fight," though the latter meaning appears to be the earliest in Old French.

Noun

in part borrowed from Middle French deffy, noun derivative of defier "to challenge, defy entry 1," in part derivative of defy entry 1

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4

Noun

1580, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of defy was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near defy

Cite this Entry

“Defy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/defy. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

defy

verb
de·​fy
di-ˈfī
defied; defying
1
: to challenge to do something considered impossible : dare
the magician defied the audience to explain the trick
2
: to refuse boldly to obey or to yield to : disregard
defy public opinion
3
: to resist attempts at : withstand, baffle
a scene that defies description
defier
-ˈfī(-ə)r
noun

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