defied

[dih-fahyd] / dɪˈfaɪd /

VERB

challenge, frustrate

Synonyms

STRONGEST

confront disregard elude flout ignore mock oppose provoke resist ridicule spurn thwart violate withstand

STRONG

baffle beard brave contemn dare defeat deride despise face foil front gibe insult repel repulse scorn slight stick venture

WEAK

fly in face of hang tough hurl defiance at make my day outdare stick fast take one on

Antonyms

STRONGEST

aid assist flatter help note pay attention praise regard respect

STRONG

abet admire attract commend compliment encourage give up hide like love

WEAK

give in obey surrender yield

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

defied

Even if Johnson had defied a federal statute, they argued, it was merely to allow the Supreme Court to decide its constitutionality.

From Slate ● Sep. 16, 2026

Robust quarterly earnings growth and a joint-venture deal with AI model maker Anthropic defied predictions of the “SaaSpocalypse,” the idea that versatile AI agents would render software-as-a-service companies such as Salesforce redundant.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026

First, Brazil's Alison dos Santos defied expectations to smash the 400m hurdles world record.

From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026

Norman, a veteran conservative and member of the hardline House Freedom Caucus, supports much of Trump's agenda but has occasionally defied Republican leaders and backed Nikki Haley rather than Trump in the 2024 presidential primary.

From Barron's ● Aug. 25, 2026

The screwheads defied both flathead and Phillips screwdrivers.

From "Artemis Fowl" by Eoin Colfer