defy
/dɪˈfaɪ/ (bre, ipa) · /dɪˈfaɪ/ (ame, ipa) · /di-ˈfī dē-/ (ame, mw)
defy — verb
- defypresent simple I / you / we / they
- defieshe / she / it
- defiedpast simple
- defying-ing form
1. to openly choose not to follow a rule, law, or instruction, showing that you do
to openly choose not to follow a rule, law, or instruction, showing that you do not accept the authority of the person who gave it.
The teenager defied her parents' curfew by staying out until after midnight.
defy + noun phrase (a rule set by someone in authority)
Ramón defied the company's dress code by wearing jeans to the office every day.
Civil rights leaders often defied unjust laws to push for social change.
The soldier was punished for defying a direct order from his commanding officer.
When the new safety rule was announced, several workers openly defied it.
文法句型
defy + noun phrase (an order, a rule, an authority)
用法筆記
Subject is usually a person or group. The thing being defied is typically an order, rule, law, or someone in a position of authority.
常見錯誤
2. to be so strange or extreme that you cannot believe it or put it into words prop
to be so strange or extreme that you cannot believe it or put it into words properly.
The beauty of the night sky in the desert defied description — words were not enough.
defy + description (formal pattern: cannot be adequately described)
Kemi's recovery from the rare disease defied all medical predictions.
The special effects in the film defy imagination with their creativity and detail.
The level of corruption shown in the leaked report truly defies belief.
How the ancient Egyptians built the pyramids still defies full explanation.
文法句型
defy + belief / description / explanation / imagination
用法筆記
Common objects are abstract nouns like 'belief', 'description', 'explanation', 'imagination', and 'logic'. This sense is always transitive and nearly always used with an inanimate subject.
常見錯誤
3. to challenge a person by asking them to try something you believe is too difficu
to challenge a person by asking them to try something you believe is too difficult for them, in order to test their courage or prove your point.
I defy you to find a better restaurant in this whole neighbourhood.
defy + someone + to-infinitive (challenge pattern)
Tamar defied her brother to jump across the wide stream near their house.
The politician defied his opponent to prove the accusation in court.
Hao defied his classmates to climb the tallest tree in the school park.
Jude defied his colleague to name even one country where the plan had worked.
文法句型
defy + someone + to-infinitive
用法筆記
Almost always used in the pattern 'defy + someone + to-infinitive'. The infinitive describes the action the person is being challenged to do. This sense is often used as a rhetorical device ('I defy you to…').
常見錯誤
4. to successfully withstand or survive the effects of something such as time, pres
to successfully withstand or survive the effects of something such as time, pressure, attack, or analysis.
The old stone castle has defied the weather for over five hundred years.
defy + noun phrase (withstand successfully over time)
Her latest novel defies easy classification into any single literary genre.
The athlete's quiet determination defied every attempt to break her spirit.
Ingrid's argument defied simple logic and left the whole room confused.
This ancient tradition defies modern trends and stays the same year after year.
- succumb to
to give in to pressure or force
- yield to
to allow yourself to be affected by something
文法句型
defy + noun phrase (an attempt, pressure, time, analysis)
用法筆記
Subject is typically an inanimate thing (a building, an idea, a tradition) that has lasted or stayed strong. Frequently appears with adjectives like 'easy' or 'simple' modifying the object ('defies easy explanation').
常見錯誤
defy — noun
1. an act of open resistance or a direct challenge to someone's authority, rules, o
an act of open resistance or a direct challenge to someone's authority, rules, or expectations.
The senator's speech was a direct defy of the party leadership.
a + defy + of (noun pattern, formal)
Mauricio viewed the new safety rules as a personal defy and ignored them on purpose.
The children's refusal to clean their room was a small defy of their parents' authority.
His silence during the hearing was seen as a quiet defy of the court.
- submission
accepting someone's authority without resistance
文法句型
a defy + of + noun phrase
用法筆記
This noun form is much less common than the verb. It is used primarily in formal or literary contexts and often appears with adjectives like 'direct', 'quiet', or 'open'.