Defy (Verb)
Meaning 1
Challenge; "I dare you!".
Classification
Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing.
Synonyms
Related Words
Meaning 2
Resist or confront with resistance; "The politician defied public opinion"; "The new material withstands even the greatest wear and tear"; "The bridge held".
Classification
Verbs of being, having, spatial relations.
Synonyms
Hypernyms
Hyponyms
Related Words
Meaning 3
Elude, especially in a baffling way; "This behavior defies explanation".
Classification
Verbs of being, having, spatial relations.
Examples
- The peculiar customs of the ancient tribe defy comprehension by modern anthropologists.
- Her incredible talent for solving complex mathematical equations defies logic, according to experts.
- The bird's sudden, unexplained reappearance in the area defies all explanation and has left experts baffled.
- The film's mix of genres and moods defies categorization, leaving critics scrambling to find comparisons.
- The person's ability to recall entire conversations from years ago defies conventional understanding of human memory.