defiant

[dih-fahy-uhnt] / dɪˈfaɪ ənt /

ADJECTIVE

disobedient, disregardful

Synonyms

WEAK

aggressive audacious bold challenging contumacious daring gutsy insolent insubmissive insubordinate mutinous obstinate provocative rebellious recalcitrant reckless refractory resistant resistive sassy truculent

Antonyms

WEAK

acquiescent obedient respectful submissive submitting subordinating

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.

Breika remains defiant: "We hope Morocco understands that investing in tourism or any other economical projects does not replace the will of Sahrawis people and its inalienable right to decide its future."

From BBC • May 24, 2026

He reportedly realized that war with Iraq was inevitable when watching a defiant press conference on CNN by Iraqi official Tariq Aziz.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026

Speaking to Bloomberg, Fernandes remained defiant on hedging fuel costs, saying he thinks they'll eventually calm down.

From Barron's • May 7, 2026

While Metcalf’s Linda adopts a facade of stoicism to shield her family from the grief erupting in her, Abbott’s Biff is forced to reveal the broken man behind the defiant veneer.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 29, 2026

I stared back, innocent, defiant, and surprised at myself.

From "Black Swan Green" by David Mitchell

Vocabulary lists containing defiant

List 3

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ACT Reading Test: Words to Capture Tone, List 2

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Commonly Misspelled Words, List 1

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