Nearby Words
verb (used with object)
1.
to challenge the power of; resist boldly or openly: to defy parental authority.
2.
to offer effective resistance to: a fort that defies attack.
3.
to challenge (a person) to do something deemed impossible: They defied him to dive off the bridge.
4.
Archaic. to challenge to a combat or contest.
noun
5.
a challenge; a defiance.
00:10
00:09
00:08
00:07
00:06
00:05
00:04
00:03
00:02
00:01
Defy
is one of our favorite verbs.
So is skedaddle. Does it mean:
| to run away hurriedly; flee. |
| to steal or take dishonestly (money, esp. public funds, or property entrusted to one's care); embezzle. |
Origin:
1250–1300; Middle English defien < Old French desfier, equivalent to des- dis-1 + fier to trust < Vulgar Latin *fīdāre, variant of Latin fīdere
1250–1300; Middle English defien < Old French desfier, equivalent to des- dis-1 + fier to trust < Vulgar Latin *fīdāre, variant of Latin fīdere
Related forms
de·fi·a·ble, adjective
de·fy·ing·ly, adverb
pre·de·fy, verb (used with object), pre·de·fied, pre·de·fy·ing.
re·de·fy, verb (used with object), re·de·fied, re·de·fy·ing.
un·de·fi·a·ble, adjective
EXPANDSynonyms
1. dare, brave, flout, scorn.
1. dare, brave, flout, scorn.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source
|
Link To Defy
Collins
World English Dictionary
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
defy
c.1300, from O.Fr. defier, desfier, from V.L. *disfidare "renounce one's faith," from L. dis- "away" + fidus "faithful." Meaning shifted 14c. from "be disloyal" to "challenge."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Cite This Source
Word Dynamo Rating For Defy
Matching Quote
Dictionary.com, LLC. Copyright © 2012. All rights reserved.
