Definition of defend - Reverso English Dictionary
Verb
1.
protectionresist an attack made on someone or something
- The soldiers defended the fort against the invaders..
2.
loyal backingsupport in the face of criticism
- She defended her friend during the argument.
3.
sportsTECH. prevent opponents from scoring in sportsTECH.
- The team defended well in the final match.
4.
legal representationTECH. conduct the case for an accused or sued partyTECH.
- The lawyer defended the client effectively in court..
5.
sportsTECH. attempt to retain a title in sportsTECH.
- He will defend his championship next year.
Expressions with defend
💡 Discover popular phrases, idioms, collocations, or phrasal verbs. Click any expression to learn more, listen to its pronunciation, or save it to your favorites.
protect one's interests or rights
He always defends his corner when negotiating contracts.
protect something with one's life
The knight vowed to defend to the death his king.
maintain a position until the end
They will defend to the last their right to free speech.
protect one's area from others' intrusion
The manager had to defend his turf from new competitors.
support something that cannot be justified
He tried to defend the indefensible actions of the corrupt politician.
support or protect fully and completely
She will defend to the hilt her decision to move abroad.
allow someone to protect or argue for something
They gave him leave to defend the proposal.
Origin of defend
Latin, defendere (ward off)
Terms with defend included in their meaning
💡 A powerful way to uncover related words, idioms, and expressions linked by the same idea — and explore meaning beyond exact word matches.
bird
birds vocalize to defend territory or attract mates
self-defense
defend oneself against an attack
protective
serving to protect or defend something
defend support
say words to support someone or something
support
defend or support publicly
loyalty
support or defend someone or something
support
defend or support someone or something
claim
legal case in court to enforce or defend a right
defensive
serving to defend or guard from harm
military
designed to attack or defend against aircraft
block access
block or defend with an improvised barrier
readiness defense
be ready to assist or defend someone at any time
support
help or defend someone when they need it
defend benefits
take action to keep what benefits oneself safe
support
defend someone or something against criticism
firm opinion
state or defend a strong opinion or position
defense
support or defend someone or something
legal dispute
defend or argue for your own position or rights
advocacy
defend one's interests or views assertively
organization
group of workers joined to defend wages rights and working conditions
argument support
information used to criticize or defend a point in an argument
figurative
chance to defend oneself or one's opinion
military
formation intended to defend against an attack
defense
defend a position strongly even if it leads to conflict
Examples of defend in a sentence
She defended her friend from the accusations. He defended his thesis against tough questions. The lawyer defended her client passionately. They defended aggressively throughout the tournament. He learned to defend against fast players. She was hired to defend the company in the lawsuit.
He will defend his client against all charges. The champion hopes to defend her title in June. They defended the cup successfully last season.
View all translations of defend
Click below to see the appropriate translations facing each meaning.
- French:défendre, soutenir, ...
- German:verteidigen, unterstützen, ...
- Italian:difendere, sostenere, ...
- Spanish:proteger, apoyar, ...
- Portuguese:proteger, apoiar, ...
- Chinese:防御, 辩护, ...
- Japanese:守る, 擁護する, ...
- Arabic:دَافَعَ, دافَعَ عَنْ, ...
- Hebrew:לְהָגֵן עַל, לְהָגֵן, ...
- Russian:защищать, защитить, ...
- Ukrainian:захищати, захистити, ...
- Hindi:रक्षा करना, समर्थन करना, ...
icon to discover related terms: analogies, antonyms, common collocates, words with same roots, umbrella terms… Try with happening or hunch.
icon next to the first example to see two additional options and learn to use new vocabulary naturally.
icon to save words you want to revisit. You can also save a specific meaning by clicking on the