defy.
To challenge (someone) or brave (a hazard or opposition).
Meaning & usage
To challenge (someone) or brave (a hazard or opposition).
to defy an enemy; to defy the power of a magistrate; to defy the arguments of an opponent; to defy public opinion
To refuse to obey.
If you defy your teacher you may end up in detention.
To not conform to or follow a pattern, set of rules or expectations.
To renounce or dissolve all bonds of affiance, faith, or obligation with; to reject, refuse, or renounce.
Where this word comes from
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.
A challenge.
Where this word comes from
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.
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Definitions, grammatical labels, IPA, etymology and examples: Wiktionary contributors, extracted by Kaikki / Wiktextract. Adapted under CC BY-SA 4.0. Selected fields and authored examples are shown; third-party quotations and audio are omitted. See contributor history.
Last enriched 2026-09-10. Definitions are in English. Romanizations are shown when supplied by the source; syllable estimates are omitted for unsupported scripts.