Link Centre Dictionary

defy

UK/dɪˈfaɪ/ US/dɪˈfaɪ/ fairly common

verb

1.

resist or confront with resistance

  • “The politician defied public opinion”
  • “The new material withstands even the greatest wear and tear”
  • “The bridge held”
Synonyms
2.

elude, especially in a baffling way

  • “This behavior defies explanation”
Synonyms
Antonyms
3.

challenge

  • “I dare you!”
Synonyms

Origin

From Old French desfier, from Vulgar Latin *disfidare (“renounce one's faith”), from Latin dis- (“away”) + fidus (“faithful”). Meaning shifted in the 14th century from "be disloyal" to "challenge". Contrast confide, fidelity, faith.

Phrases

  • defy belief

Related words

Word family

Broader terms

Narrower terms

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.