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.
Princeton's WordNet
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, applydefy, 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 oneselfdefy, dareverb
challenge
"I dare you!"
Synonyms:
hold up, refuse, make bold, dare, presume, withstand, resist, holdAntonyms:
lend oneself, apply
Matched Categories
Dictionary of English Synonymes
defyverb
Synonyms:
challenge, dare, bid defiance to, hurl defiance atdefyverb
Synonyms:
brave, disregard, slight, scorn, spurn, despise, contemn, treat with contempt, trample on, set at naught, snap the fingers at
Suggested Resources
DEFY
What does DEFY stand for? -- Explore the various meanings for the DEFY acronym on the Abbreviations.com website.
Words popularity by usage frequency
ranking | word | |
---|---|---|
#26 | have | |
#123 | go | |
#126 | last | |
#132 | make | |
#148 | support | |
#176 | book | |
#246 | take | |
#272 | check | |
#333 | control | |
#461 | live | |
#555 | give | |
#656 | keep | |
#1061 | apply | |
#1275 | hold | |
#1734 | agree | |
#1778 | stand | |
#2185 | challenge | |
#2268 | reserve | |
#2412 | carry | |
#2422 | maintain | |
#2490 | bear | |
#2584 | obtain | |
#2700 | contain | |
#2813 | despite | |
#3446 | delay | |
#3541 | guard | |
#4200 | nurse | |
#4404 | throw | |
#4776 | harbor | |
#5420 | moderate | |
#5615 | decline | |
#6821 | admit | |
#6857 | retain | |
#7117 | survive | |
#7148 | protest | |
#7367 | refuse | |
#7466 | harbour | |
#7523 | arrest | |
#7739 | defend | |
#7851 | deny | |
#8016 | accommodate | |
#8275 | bind | |
#8413 | dare | |
#8574 | reject | |
#9348 | declare | |
#9453 | concord | |
#9772 | brave | |
#9957 | resist | |
#11256 | sustain | |
#12551 | curb | |
#13959 | halt | |
#14008 | entertain | |
#17195 | dissent | |
#17822 | prevail | |
#17899 | endure | |
#19121 | withstand | |
#21923 | deem | |
#22857 | presume | |
#24755 | concur | |
#26899 | provoke | |
#29907 | defy | |
#30094 | restrain | |
#30501 | defiant | |
#34727 | scorn | |
#36343 | confine | |
#36379 | defying | |
#39435 | defies | |
#39509 | jib | |
#40155 | detain | |
#40564 | fend | |
#44733 | oblige | |
#53908 | balk | |
#53932 | obligate | |
#119708 | flout | |
#197935 | baulk | |
#199421 | adjudge |
How to use defy in a sentence?
We will see marriage equality in Alabama tomorrow. I don't think the probate judges in Alabama are going to defy a federal court judge's order.
This is a test case for whether rule of law really means anything in Thailand when the poor and powerless take on a state agency that has been negligent, if the (Pollution Control Department) can defy an order from the Supreme Administrative Court without facing severe consequences, it spreads the word that government agencies can do what they want.
The feeble tremble before opinion, the foolish defy it, the wise judge it, the skillful direct it.
So what I said, while I would not prefer executive action, I always prefer legislative action, that responsibility lies directly in the chair of Speaker Boehner who has refused to defy the tea party and do what's right for this country.
The right to defy an unconstitutional statute is basic in our scheme. Even when an ordinance requires a permit to make a speech, to deliver a sermon, to picket, to parade, or to assemble, it need not be honored when it’s invalid on its face.
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, 2023. Web. 8 Dec. 2023. <https://www.synonyms.com/synonym/defy>.
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