verb
defy
dih-FEYE
verb
1
To openly refuse to obey or comply with something.
"The protesters defied the curfew and marched anyway."
2
To resist or fail to conform to something, as if impossible to overcome.
"The stunt seemed to defy the laws of physics."
How to Use Defy
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo stand up against a rule, order, or expectation and refuse to follow it.
Common pairings
defy orders
defy expectations
defy gravity
defy logic
Word Forms
defied past tense, defies plural, defies singular
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The stunt seemed to _____ the laws of physics.
Etymology
From Old French desfier, ultimately from Latin dis- ("away") + fidus ("faithful") — originally meaning to renounce loyalty, later shifting to mean "challenge."