defy
Intermediate/dɪˈfaɪ/
- verb
- to refuse to obey a person, decision, law, situation, etc.
defy in a sentence
- “I wouldn’t have dared to defy my teachers.”
- “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.”
What does “defy” mean?
defy (verb) means to refuse to obey a person, decision, law, situation, etc.. It is pronounced /dɪˈfaɪ/. Vocaby pairs the definition with audio and real example sentences so the word is easy to remember — and brings it back for review right before you'd forget it.
Frequently asked questions
- What does "defy" mean?
- defy (verb) means: to refuse to obey a person, decision, law, situation, etc.
- How do you pronounce "defy"?
- "defy" is pronounced /dɪˈfaɪ/ in IPA. You can tap to hear it spoken aloud in the Vocaby app.
- How do you use "defy" in a sentence?
- Here is "defy" used in a sentence: I wouldn’t have dared to defy my teachers.
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