What is another word for defy?

Synonyms for defy
dɪˈfaɪ; ˈdi faɪde·fy

This thesaurus page includes all potential synonyms, words with the same meaning and similar terms for the word defy.

Complete Dictionary of Synonyms and Antonyms2.5 / 4 votes

  1. defy

    Synonyms:
    scorn, challenge, provoke, despite, brave

Princeton's WordNet0.0 / 0 votes

  1. defy, withstand, hold, hold upverb

    resist or confront with resistance

    "The politician defied public opinion"; "The new material withstands even the greatest wear and tear"; "The bridge held"

    Synonyms:
    accommodate, book, stand up, retain, moderate, view as, support, apply, hold back, harbour, hold out, take hold, bind, hold up, arrest, dare, live, take, have, concord, survive, live on, check, make, take for, go for, stand firm, keep, defend, control, harbor, deem, throw, obligate, carry, give, adjudge, entertain, nurse, oblige, curb, hold, stick up, last, confine, hold water, have got, go, endure, restrain, declare, withstand, agree, hold in, delay, halt, contain, concur, maintain, guard, keep back, sustain, prevail, reserve, admit, obtain, refuse, resist, detain, bear

    Antonyms:
    lend oneself, apply

  2. defy, resist, refuseverb

    elude, especially in a baffling way

    "This behavior defies explanation"

    Synonyms:
    pass up, baulk, reject, stand, deny, resist, hold up, hold out, fend, hold, balk, dissent, decline, jib, turn away, stand firm, withstand, refuse, protest, turn down, dare

    Antonyms:
    apply, lend oneself

  3. defy, dareverb

    challenge

    "I dare you!"

    Synonyms:
    hold up, refuse, make bold, dare, presume, withstand, resist, hold

    Antonyms:
    lend oneself, apply

Matched Categories

Dictionary of English Synonymes3.0 / 1 vote

  1. defyverb

    Synonyms:
    challenge, dare, bid defiance to, hurl defiance at

  2. defyverb

    Synonyms:
    brave, disregard, slight, scorn, spurn, despise, contemn, treat with contempt, trample on, set at naught, snap the fingers at

Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated Words0.0 / 0 votes

  1. defyverb

    Synonyms:
    challenge, dare, spurn, flout, scorn

PPDB, the paraphrase database0.0 / 0 votes

  1. List of paraphrases for "defy":

    challenge, defying, flout, defies, defiant

Suggested Resources

  1. DEFY

    What does DEFY stand for? -- Explore the various meanings for the DEFY acronym on the Abbreviations.com website.

How to pronounce defy?

How to say defy in sign language?

Words popularity by usage frequency

rankingword
#26have
#123go
#126last
#132make
#148support
#176book
#246take
#272check
#333control
#461live
#555give
#656keep
#1061apply
#1275hold
#1734agree
#1778stand
#2185challenge
#2268reserve
#2412carry
#2422maintain
#2490bear
#2584obtain
#2700contain
#2813despite
#3446delay
#3541guard
#4200nurse
#4404throw
#4776harbor
#5420moderate
#5615decline
#6821admit
#6857retain
#7117survive
#7148protest
#7367refuse
#7466harbour
#7523arrest
#7739defend
#7851deny
#8016accommodate
#8275bind
#8413dare
#8574reject
#9348declare
#9453concord
#9772brave
#9957resist
#11256sustain
#12551curb
#13959halt
#14008entertain
#17195dissent
#17822prevail
#17899endure
#19121withstand
#21923deem
#22857presume
#24755concur
#26899provoke
#29907defy
#30094restrain
#30501defiant
#34727scorn
#36343confine
#36379defying
#39435defies
#39509jib
#40155detain
#40564fend
#44733oblige
#53908balk
#53932obligate
#119708flout
#197935baulk
#199421adjudge

How to use defy in a sentence?

  1. Steven Spielberg:

    I find it very, very surprising, antisemitism has always been there, it’s either been just around the corner and slightly out of sight but always lurking, or it has been much more overt like in Germany in the ’30s. But not since Germany in the ‘30s have I witnessed antisemitism no longer lurking, but standing proud with hands on hips like Hitler and Mussolini, kind of daring us to defy it. I’ve never experienced this in my entire life, especially in this country.

  2. Tony Sayegh:

    I like a lot of these programs and am willing to give them creative license, but when they try and take a legitimate political message being used in real time like ‘ make America great again ’ -- which incidentally is working -- and vilify it by connecting it to terrorism, they defy even the most generous level of objectivity.

  3. William Barr:

    One of the ironies, as some have observed, is that the secular project has itself become a religion, pursued with religious fervor. It is taking on all the trappings of a religion – including inquisitions and excommunication. Those who defy the creed risk a figurative burning at the stake – social, educational, and professional ostracism and exclusion waged through lawsuits and savage social media campaigns.

  4. Chun Yung-woo:

    In the eyes of the Kims, Moon's administration gave too much of false hope that it would defy U.S. pressure to move their relations forward, but after two years, what they have left is a failed summit with Trump and no progress whatsoever on inter-Korean economic cooperation.

  5. Leo Terrell:

    She has damaged her chances for future custodial rights, she disobeyed a court order to return the children. A writ of habeas corpus was filed by the ex-husband and granted by a New York Court ordering her to turn over the children to the paternal grandmother. Kelly received bad legal advice to defy the court order.


Translations for defy

From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary

  • تحدىArabic
  • игнорирам, пренебрегвам, предизвиквамBulgarian
  • vzdát se, vyzývat, vzdorovat, zřeknout se, vyzvat, vzepřít seCzech
  • herausfordernGerman
  • renunciar, desafiarSpanish
  • سرپیچی, سر باز زدن, نافرمانیPersian
  • haastaa, uhmataFinnish
  • défierFrench
  • abiurare, sfidareItalian
  • له‌ قسه‌ده‌رچوون, به‌ربه‌کانی کردن, به‌ربه‌ره‌کانێ کردن, عاسی بوونKurdish
  • whakatumatumaMāori
  • afzweren, uitdagen, het hoofd biedenDutch
  • sfidaRomanian
  • пренебрегать, бросать вызов, попиратьRussian
  • кинути викликUkrainian

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Translation

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Citation

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"defy." Synonyms.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 31 May 2024. <https://www.synonyms.com/synonym/defy>.

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