- confront
- disregard
- elude
- flout
- ignore
- mock
- oppose
- provoke
- resist
- ridicule
- spurn
- thwart
- violate
- withstand
- baffle
- beard
- brave
- contemn
- dare
- defeat
- deride
- despise
- face
- foil
- front
- gibe
- insult
- repel
- repulse
- scorn
- slight
- stick
- venture
- face off
- fly in face of
- hang tough
- hurl defiance at
- make my day
- outdare
- stick fast
- take one on
On this page you’ll find 116 synonyms, antonyms, and words related to defy, such as: confront, disregard, elude, flout, ignore, and mock.
antonyms for defy
- aid
- assist
- flatter
- help
- note
- pay attention
- praise
- regard
- respect
- abet
- admire
- attract
- commend
- compliment
- encourage
- give up
- hide
- like
- love
- give in
- obey
- surrender
- yield
Roget’s 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.
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How to use defy in a sentence
Arches more graceful in form, or better fitted to defy the assaults of time, I have never seen.
GLANCES AT EUROPEHORACE GREELEY
If they are still Moderns and alive, I defy you to bury them if you are discussing living questions in a full and honest way.
THE SALVAGING OF CIVILISATIONH. G. (HERBERT GEORGE) WELLS
He could not bear to open his dreadful situation to his Uncle David, nor to kill himself, nor to defy the vengeance of Longcluse.
CHECKMATEJOSEPH SHERIDAN LE FANU
It was probably this opposition that made young Cargill decide that it would be really worth while to defy the legend.
UNCANNY TALESVARIOUS
I defy you to see or think of them and not smile with an infinite and intimate but quite impersonal pleasure.
THE POCKET R.L.S.ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON
In the study of antiquity there are steep and irregular by-paths that defy the traveller every step that he pursues them.
A CURSORY HISTORY OF SWEARINGJULIAN SHARMAN
Compact and populous, at once a castle and a city, the place could defy all the horse Indians of North America.
OVERLANDJOHN WILLIAM DE FOREST
A thousand stony needles lifted their ragged points as if to defy the lightning.
OVERLANDJOHN WILLIAM DE FOREST
SYNONYM OF THE DAY
OCTOBER 26, 1985
WORDS RELATED TO DEFY
- bear
- beard
- challenge
- confront
- court
- dare
- defy
- face
- face off
- fly in the face of
- go through
- outdare
- risk
- stand up to
- suffer
- support
- take on
- venture
- withstand
- beards
- bears
- challenges
- confronts
- courts
- dares
- defies
- faces
- faces off
- flies in the face of
- goes through
- outdares
- risks
- stands up to
- suffers
- supports
- takes on
- ventures
- withstands
- bearding
- bearing
- challenging
- confronting
- courting
- daring
- defying
- facing
- facing off
- flying in the face of
- going through
- outdaring
- risking
- standing up to
- suffering
- supporting
- taking on
- venturing
- withstanding
- accost
- arouse
- ask for
- assert
- beard
- brave
- call for
- call out
- claim
- confront
- cross
- dare
- defy
- demand
- denounce
- exact
- face down
- face off
- face the music
- fly in the face of
- hang in
- impeach
- impose
- impugn
- inquire
- insist upon
- investigate
- invite competition
- make a point of
- make a stand
- object to
- provoke
- query
- reclaim
- require
- search out
- stand up to
- stick it out
- stimulate
- summon
- tax
- test
- throw down the gauntlet
- try
- vindicate
- accosts
- arouses
- asks for
- asserts
- beards
- braves
- calls for
- calls out
- claims
- confronts
- crosses
- dares
- defies
- demands
- denounces
- exacts
- faces down
- faces off
- faces the music
- flies in the face of
- hangs in
- impeaches
- imposes
- impugns
- inquires
- insists upon
- investigates
- invites competition
- makes a point of
- makes a stand
- objects to
- provokes
- queries
- reclaims
- requires
- searches out
- stands up to
- sticks it out
- stimulates
- summons
- taxes
- tests
- throws down the gauntlet
- tries
- vindicates
- battle
- buck
- clash
- contend
- contest
- cope
- cross swords with
- defy
- dispute
- do battle with
- duel
- engage
- fight
- go up against
- oppose
- put up a fight
- repel
- resist
- shoot it out
- strive
- struggle
- traverse
- war
- withstand
Roget’s 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.
What is another word for Defy?
Use filters to view other words, we have 1307 synonyms for defy.
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All synonyms in one line
bravado, dare, defiance, stump, affront, beard, brave, challenge, clash, en.synonym.one, confront, contradict, contravene, counter, court, dare, denounce, despise, disobey, dispute, do wrong, face, hinder, hold, hold up, insult, interfere, interpose, meet, misbehave, en.synonym.one, mock, oppose, rebel, refuse, repel, resist, risk, scorn, threaten, withstand.
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Princeton’s WordNetRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes
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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, bearAntonyms:
lend oneself, apply -
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, dareAntonyms:
apply, lend oneself -
defy, dareverb
challenge
«I dare you!»
Synonyms:
hold up, refuse, make bold, dare, presume, withstand, resist, holdAntonyms:
lend oneself, apply
Dictionary of English SynonymesRate these synonyms:3.0 / 1 vote
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defyverb
Synonyms:
challenge, dare, bid defiance to, hurl defiance at -
defyverb
Synonyms:
brave, disregard, slight, scorn, spurn, despise, contemn, treat with contempt, trample on, set at naught, snap the fingers at
Suggested Resources
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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?
How to use defy in a sentence?
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RAS CARDO REGGAE:
I know that someday my works will be praised by the critics, revered by the skeptics, respected by the cynics, continue to be researched by the academics, and loved by all those who know truth throughout the world. it will defy description and pose a dire challenge to historical analysis. the truths I deliver stands on its own. I created reggae and told the world about- the technotyrannical society.
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Charles Koch:
We talk here about dollars and raising money and they are absolutely critical to getting this done, but they alone will not do the job. We know this from the successful movements in our country’s history. It took the full commitment from the founding fathers, Frederick Douglass, Susan B. Anthony, Martin Luther King, Jr., and the thousands of others who led successful movements. To defy the odds stacked against them, these leaders had to pledge their lives, fortunes and their sacred honor — often at great personal sacrifice.
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Tricia Ferrara:
Initially, it is possible they may not have much to say, events like this sometimes defy language, and a teen may struggle to discuss. However, remain open for these emerging adults. They need to know that they matter and that the world’s complexity is in dire need of their taking the time to think about and understand what it means to be global citizens.
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Ernie Gates:
To shut down Stars and Stripes on Oct. 1 would defy the expressed will of the House and pre-empt full consideration by The Senate, there’s every reason to expect that the federal government will operate under a Continuing Resolution when the current fiscal year ends on Sept. 30. Secretary Esper and Defense Department should commit to continuing to fund Stars and Stripes under such a scenario — and when Congress completes the budget process, it should then make Stars and Stripes’ funding ironclad.
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Taco Bell:
For decades we’ve been committed to providing a fast, safe and friendly drive-thru experience, now with our bold goal of creating a two minute or less drive-thru experience for customers of this concept, Taco Bell Defy is the future.
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
Get even more translations for defy »
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Citation
Use the citation below to add these synonyms to your bibliography:
Are we missing a good synonym for defy?
1 beard, brave, challenge, confront, contemn, dare, despise, disregard, face, flout, hurl defiance at, provoke, scorn, slight, spurn
2 baffle, call (someone’s) bluff, defeat, elude, foil, frustrate, repel, repulse, resist, thwart, withstand
English Collins Dictionary — English synonyms & Thesaurus
defy
( defies 3rd person present) ( defying present participle) ( defied past tense & past participle )
1 verb 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.
This was the first (and last) time that I dared to defy my mother… V n
2 verb If you defy someone to do something, you challenge them to do it when you think that they will be unable to do it or too frightened to do it.
(=dare)
I defy you to come up with one major accomplishment of the current Prime Minister… V n to-inf
3 verb If something defies description or understanding, it is so strange, extreme, or surprising that it is almost impossible to understand or explain.
no passive, no cont
It’s a devastating and barbaric act that defies all comprehension. V n
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