defy
2 ENTRIES FOUND:
defies;
defied;
defying
defies;
defied;
defying
Britannica Dictionary definition of DEFY
[+ object]
1
:
to refuse to obey (something or someone)
-
She defied her parents and dropped out of school.
2
:
to make (something) very difficult or impossible
-
The article defies a simple summary. [=the article cannot be explained by a simple summary]
-
views of nature that defy belief/description [=that are hard to believe/describe]
3
:
to resist or fight (something)
-
The group has continued to defy all efforts to stop them.
4
:
to go against (something)
-
The team defied the odds [=did something that was very unlikely] and won the championship.
-
an explanation that defies all logic [=an explanation that does not make any sense]
5
:
to tell (someone) to do something that you think cannot be done
-
I defy you to prove that I lied.
-
I defy anyone to name a better film. [=I do not think that anyone can name a better film; I do not think that there is a better film]
