Word a Day
defy
What does defy mean?
defy (verb): resist or confront with resistance.
Definition: Princeton WordNet 3.1.
How do you use defy in a sentence?
- If you defy your teacher you may end up in detention. (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0)
How do you pronounce defy?
/dɪˈfaɪ/ (IPA, American English). The app reads every word aloud.
Where does defy come from?
From Old French desfier, from Vulgar Latin *disfidare (“renounce one's faith”), from Latin dis- (“away”) + fidus (“faithful”).
Etymology: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Test yourself: do you know “defy”?
Tap an answer to check it. The same questions the app asks.
What does “defy” mean?
resist or confront with resistance
Right! That's what “defy” means.
to look in (a place) for something
Not quite: that's what search means.
to carry out (something organized)
Not quite: that's what conduct means.
to slide due to a lack of friction
Not quite: that's what slip means.
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