Definition of “defy” - English Dictionary

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“defy” in English

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defyverb [ T ]

uk ​ /dɪˈfaɪ/ us ​ /dɪˈfaɪ/

C2 to refuse to obey a person, decision, law, situation, etc.:

It is rare to see children openly defying their teachers.
A few workers have defied the majority decision and gone into work despite the strike.
The fact that aircraft don't fall out of the sky always seems to me to defy (= act against) the law of gravity.
A forest fire raging in southern California is defying (= is not changed by) all attempts to control it.
defy belief/description/explanation

C2 to be extreme or very strange and therefore impossible to believe, describe, or explain:

The chaos at the airport defies description.
defy sb to do sth

› to tell someone to do something that you think will be impossible:

I defy you to prove your accusations.
I defy you to tell where I've painted over the scratch on my car.

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(Definition of “defy” from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

“defy” in American English

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defyverb [ T ]

us ​ /dɪˈfɑɪ/

› to refuse to obey or to do something in the usual or expected way:

They defied an evacuation order and stayed in town during the hurricane.
He defied the odds (= did what no one expected) and won the race for mayor.
defiant
adjective us ​ /dɪˈfɑɪ·ənt/

›

She is defiant, angry, and tough.
defiantly
adverb us ​ /dɪˈfɑɪ·ənt·li/

›

When I said she might fail, she replied defiantly, “No, I won’t!”

(Definition of “defy” from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

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