defy

//dɪˈfaɪ//
B2Frequency Level 9Neutral
Visual representation of defy

Verb

defyInfinitive
defyPresent tense
defiedPast tense
defiedPast participle
defyingPresent participle
defiesThird-person singular
1

To openly resist or refuse to obey someone or something.

The teenager defied her parents and stayed out past midnight.

2

To challenge someone to do something believed to be impossible.

I defy you to find a better restaurant in this city.

3

To be impossible to describe, explain, or understand.

The beauty of the sunset defied description.