defiantly
/dɪˈfaɪəntli/ (bre, ipa) · /dɪˈfaɪəntli/ (ame, ipa) · /di-ˈfī-ənt-lē dē-/ (ame, mw)
defiantly — adverb
1. acting with open resistance to authority, as if proud of breaking the rules
acting with open resistance to authority, as if proud of breaking the rules
Kenji defiantly stayed seated when the teacher ordered everyone to stand.
defiantly + stayed (refusing a direct command)
Fatima crossed her arms defiantly and told the officer she would not move.
The protesters defiantly marched past the police line and into the government square.
Diego defiantly ignored the court order and kept building on his land.
After the warning, the students defiantly sang the banned song together.
- rebelliously
emphasises active uprising against authority, often as part of a group or movement
- insubordinately
more formal; used mainly in workplace or military settings for disobeying a direct superior
- contrarily
suggests stubborn opposition for its own sake rather than principled resistance
- obediently
acting in full compliance with commands
- submissively
yielding to authority without resistance
用法筆記
Frequently used with verbs of physical action (stand, march, cross arms) or speech (shout, declare) that directly challenge authority.
常見錯誤
2. acting as though you refuse to let other people's negative opinions or judgments
acting as though you refuse to let other people's negative opinions or judgments affect you
Omar defiantly repeated his opinion after the whole team disagreed with him.
defiantly + repeated (refusing to back down verbally)
Elena defiantly wore the yellow coat her friends made fun of every day.
After every critic panned the film, the director defiantly called it his best work.
Chidi defiantly posted the painting online despite dozens of harsh comments.
Defiantly, Deepa defended her career choice when her relatives called it a mistake.
- unapologetically
shows no regret for one's actions; does not carry the connotation of pushing back against specific criticism
- stubbornly
broader term for refusing to change one's mind or behaviour, not necessarily in response to criticism
- obstinately
more formal; describes a fixed refusal to yield, often seen as unreasonable
- apologetically
expressing regret or sorry for one's actions
- contritely
showing sincere remorse or guilt
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1 (AGAINST AUTHORITY): sense 2 is about refusing to accept criticism or negative judgment, not about disobeying commands or rules. The target is social disapproval, not institutional authority.