Definition of defy - Reverso English Dictionary
Verb
1.
disobediencerefuse to obey authority or rules
- The protesters defied the curfew.
2.
couragebrave a hazard or opposition
- They defied the storm to reach safety.
3.
bold darechallenge someone to do something seen as impossible
- He defied his friends to prove the theory wrong..
4.
understandingRare elude understanding or explanationRare
- The magician's trick defies explanation.
Expressions with defy
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be too extraordinary to be described
The beauty of the sunset defies description.
succeed despite low chances
She defied the odds and won the championship.
seem so strange or extreme that it cannot be believed
His story defies belief.
cannot be easily explained or described with words
Her beauty defies definition.
seem to resist falling by moving or existing against natural downward pull
The dancer seemed to defy gravity with her long, floating jump.
openly resist or refuse to obey authority
The protesters defy authority by marching without a permit.
do something surprising or unexpected
The athlete defied expectations by winning the gold medal.
cannot be understood because it is too strange or complex
His actions defy comprehension.
challenge established norms or standards
The artist's work continues to defy convention and surprise audiences.
cannot be explained or understood
His sudden disappearance defies explanation.
Origin of defy
Old French, defier (to challenge)
Terms with defy 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.
challenge
defy or challenge someone
behavior
openly mock or defy someone or something
challenge
defy or challenge boldly
unusual actions
defy convention or norms in actions
rebellion
rebel against authority or defy orders
defying gravity
appearing to defy gravity
behavior
defy or oppose an expectation or standard
conflict
defy or challenge someone openly
audacity
show audacity to defy norms or authority
defy authority
actively challenge or oppose authority figures
Examples of defy in a sentence
The workers defied the management's orders. She defied the odds to win the championship. The protestors defied the curfew imposed by the authorities. She defied the odds and completed the marathon. They defied the storm to rescue the stranded hikers. Her beauty defies description.
The complexity of the puzzle defies logic.
View all translations of defy
Click below to see the appropriate translations facing each meaning.
- French:défier, affronter, ...
- German:trotzen, herausfordern, ...
- Italian:sfidare, affrontare, ...
- Spanish:desafiar, enfrentar, ...
- Portuguese:desafiar, enfrentar, ...
- Chinese:违抗, 冒, ...
- Japanese:逆らう, 立ち向かう, ...
- Arabic:عَصَى, وَاجَهَ, ...
- Hebrew:לְסָרֵב לְצַיֵּת, לְצַפְצֵף עַל, ...
- Russian:игнорировать, бросить вызов, ...
- Ukrainian:ігнорувати, кидати виклик, ...
- Hindi:अवज्ञा करना, सामना करना, ...
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