Defy
11defy — [[t]dɪfa͟ɪ[/t]] defies, defying, defied 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. [V n] This was the first (and last) time that I dared to defy… …
12defy — 1. noun A challenge. 2. verb a) To renounce or dissolve all bonds of affiance, faith, or obligation with; to reject, refuse, or renounce. to defy an enemy; to defy the power of a magistrate; to defy the arguments of an opponent; to defy public… …
13defy — verb ADVERB ▪ openly ▪ Journalists were openly defying the authorities. VERB + DEFY ▪ be prepared to (esp. BrE), be willing to ▪ He is willing to defy his own party …
14defy — 01. Thousands of people in this country continue to [defy] the law by smoking marijuana. 02. Opponents of the prohibition against smoking say they plan to [defy] the ban in a mass smoking demonstration on Monday. 03. Each time he [defied] his… …
15defy — verb defied, defying (T) 1 to refuse to obey a law or rule, or refuse to do what someone in authority tells you to do: He defied his father s wishes and married Agnes. 2 defy description/analysis/imagination etc to be so extreme or unusual that… …
16defy */ — UK [dɪˈfaɪ] / US verb [transitive] Word forms defy : present tense I/you/we/they defy he/she/it defies present participle defying past tense defied past participle defied 1) to refuse to obey someone or something The commander defied a direct… …
17defy — I. transitive verb (defied; defying) Etymology: Middle English, to renounce faith in, challenge, from Anglo French desfier, defier, from des de + fier to entrust, from Vulgar Latin *fidare, alteration of Latin fidere to trust more at bide Date:… …
18defy — de|fy [ dı faı ] verb transitive * 1. ) to refuse to obey someone or something: DISOBEY: The commander defied a direct order to surrender. 2. ) to happen in a way that is different from what usually happens or what you expect: Buildings leaned… …
19defy — defiable, adj. defyingly, adv. v. /di fuy /; n. /di fuy , dee fuy/, v., defied, defying, n., pl. defies. v.t. 1. to challenge the power of; resist boldly or openly: to defy parental authority. 2. to offer effective resistance to: a fort that… …
20defy — [14] The underlying notion of defy is of the renunciation of allegiance. It comes via Old French defier from a Vulgar Latin *disfidāre ‘renounce one’s faith’, a compound verb formed from the prefix dis , denoting reversal, and Latin fīdus… …
