ENGLISH WORD FILE NO. 01630 · Core CSAT & TOEIC Vocabulary
defy
v.
US/dɪˈfaɪ/
UK/dɪˈfaɪ/
CSAT Frequency62/100
TOEIC Frequency48/100
02
Meanings of defy
1verb
To resist or refuse to obey someone or something, often in a bold or open manner.
The activist chose to defy the government's unjust laws and faced arrest.
The activist chose to defy the government's unjust laws and faced arrest.
She defied her parents' wishes by pursuing a career in music instead of medicine.
She defied her parents' wishes by pursuing a career in music instead of medicine.
03
Derivatives of defy
defiance
resistance or refusal to obey (noun)
The protesters' defiance of the oppressive regime inspired millions.
The protesters' defiance of the oppressive regime inspired millions.
defiant
showing bold resistance or refusal to obey (adjective)
She maintained a defiant attitude even after losing the competition.
She maintained a defiant attitude even after losing the competition.
defy authority
to resist or challenge those in power (phrase)
Few citizens dared to defy authority during that period of strict governance.
Few citizens dared to defy authority during that period of strict governance.
04
Synonyms & Antonyms of defy
05
Common Phrases with defy
defy expectationsdefy expectations
defy authoritydefy authority
defy the oddsdefy the odds
defy descriptiondefy description
defy gravitydefy gravity
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Practice Question: defy
Choose the best word for the blank
The young engineer decided to ___ the conventional wisdom and develop an innovative solution.
- A defying
- B defy
- C defied
- D defies
The simple past tense 'defied' is required here because the sentence describes a completed action in the past with the subject 'the young engineer.'