defy
[ verb dih-fahy; noun dih-fahy, dee-fahy ]
/ verb dɪˈfaɪ; noun dɪˈfaɪ, ˈdi faɪ /
verb (used with object), de·fied, de·fy·ing.
to challenge the power of; resist boldly or openly: to defy parental authority.
to offer effective resistance to: a fort that defies attack.
to challenge (a person) to do something deemed impossible: They defied him to dive off the bridge.
Archaic.
to challenge to a combat or contest.
noun, plural de·fies.
a challenge; a defiance.
Origin of defy
1250–1300; Middle English
defien < Old French
desfier, equivalent to
des-
dis-1 +
fier to trust < Vulgar Latin
*fīdāre, variant of Latin
fīdere
OTHER WORDS FROM defy
Words nearby defy
Example sentences from the Web for defy
British Dictionary definitions for defy
defy
/ (dɪˈfaɪ) /
verb -fies, -fying or -fied (tr)
to resist (a powerful person, authority, etc) openly and boldly
to elude, esp in a baffling way
his actions defy explanation
formal
to challenge or provoke (someone to do something judged to be impossible); dare
I defy you to climb that cliff
archaic
to invite to do battle or combat
Derived forms of defy
defier, nounWord Origin for defy
C14: from Old French
desfier, from
des-
de- +
fier to trust, from Latin
fīdere