English Explanatory Dictionary

defy

English dictionary entry

Meanings

verb
  1. To challenge (someone) or brave (a hazard or opposition).
  2. To refuse to obey.
  3. To not conform to or follow a pattern, set of rules or expectations.
  4. To renounce or dissolve all bonds of affiance, faith, or obligation with; to reject, refuse, or renounce.
noun
  1. A challenge.

Pronunciation

/dɪˈfaɪ/ en-us-defy.ogg

Word forms

defy defies defying defied

Etymology

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.

Related words

defiance defiant

Derived words

death-defying defiable defier defy belief defyer redefy undefied

Translations

Bulgarian: предизвиквам Czech: vyzvat Dutch: uitdagen Dutch: het hoofd bieden Finnish: haastaa Finnish: uhmata French: défier German: herausfordern Italian: sfidare Central Kurdish: بەربەکانی کردن Central Kurdish: بەربەرەکانێ کردن Malagasy: mandrangitra Māori: whakatumatuma Norwegian Bokmål: utfordre Portuguese: desafiar Romanian: sfida Russian: броса́ть вы́зов Spanish: desafiar
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