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1. Dictionary

   defy

   /dɪˈfʌɪ/

   verb

   • 1. openly resist or refuse to obey: "a woman who defies convention" Similar resistwithstandtake a stand againsthold out againststand up toconfrontfacemeet head-ontake onsquare up tobeardbraveoutfaceOpposite surrender
   • ▪ be of such a kind or nature that (a specified attitude or action) is almost impossible: "his actions defy belief" Similar eludeescapedefeatfoilfrustratethwartbaffle
   • 2. appear to be challenging (someone) to do or prove something: "he glowered at her, defying her to mock him" Similar challengedarethrow down the gauntlet
   • ▪ challenge (someone) to fight: archaic "go now, defy him to the combat"

   Word Origin Middle English (in the senses ‘renounce an allegiance’ and ‘challenge to combat’): from Old French desfier, based on Latin dis- (expressing reversal) + fidus ‘faithful’.

   Derivatives

   • 1. defier noun

   Scrabble Points: 11

   • D

     2

   • E

     1

   • F

     4

   • Y

     4

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   More definitions, origin and scrabble points

2. dictionary.cambridge.org › dictionary › englishDEFY | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary

   dictionary.cambridge.org › dictionary › english

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   DEFY definition: 1. to refuse to obey a person, decision, law, situation, etc.: 2. to be extreme or very strange…. Learn more.

3. www.merriam-webster.com › dictionary › defyDefy Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

   www.merriam-webster.com › dictionary › defy

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   The meaning of DEFY is to confront with assured power of resistance : disregard. How to use defy in a sentence.

4. dictionary.cambridge.org › us › dictionaryDEFY | definition in the Cambridge English Dictionary

   dictionary.cambridge.org › us › dictionary

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   DEFY meaning: 1. to refuse to obey a person, decision, law, situation, etc.: 2. to be extreme or very strange…. Learn more.

5. www.vocabulary.com › dictionary › defyDefy - Definition, Meaning & Synonyms | Vocabulary.com

   www.vocabulary.com › dictionary › defy

   To defy is to openly refuse to do something. You can defy the no-costumes-in-class rule if you wear your fairy wings to school, but just don’t try to defy the laws of gravity unless you can actually fly. If you deliberately break a rule or ignore an order, you defy, or resist, that rule.

6. www.dictionary.com › browse › defyDEFY Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com

   www.dictionary.com › browse › defy

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   Defy definition: to challenge the power of; resist boldly or openly. See examples of DEFY used in a sentence.

7. www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com › us › definitiondefy verb - Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage notes...

   www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com › us › definition

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   used to say that somebody should try to do something, as a way of emphasizing that you think it is impossible to do it. I defy anyone not to cry at the end of the film. I defy you to leave without buying something. Definition of defy verb in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

8. www.collinsdictionary.com › dictionary › englishDEFY definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary

   www.collinsdictionary.com › dictionary › english

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   If you defy someone or something that is trying to make you behave in a particular way, you refuse to obey them and behave in that way.

9. www.thefreedictionary.com › defyDefy - definition of defy by The Free Dictionary

   www.thefreedictionary.com › defy

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   1. to resist (a powerful person, authority, etc) openly and boldly. 2. to elude, esp in a baffling way: his actions defy explanation. 3. formal to challenge or provoke (someone to do something judged to be impossible); dare: I defy you to climb that cliff. 4. (Military) archaic to invite to do battle or combat.

10. www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com › definition › american_englishdefy verb - Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage notes...

    www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com › definition › american_english

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    defy. verb. /dɪˈfaɪ/ Verb Forms. defy somebody/something to refuse to obey or show respect for someone in authority, a law, a rule, etc. I wouldn't have dared to defy my teachers. Hundreds of people today defied the ban on political gatherings. Questions about grammar and vocabulary?

11. dictionary.cambridge.org › dictionary › learner-englishDEFY | meaning - Cambridge Learner's Dictionary

    dictionary.cambridge.org › dictionary › learner-english

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    DEFY definition: 1. to refuse to obey someone or something: 2. to be impossible to believe/describe/explain, etc…. Learn more.