To dispute the validity of
“I will not go in, and I will defy any attempt to make me.”
To invite someone to engage in a contest
“I invite you, no, I defy you, to pack your things and come with me right this minute, and see for yourself who my clients are and what they do for a living.”
To face, resist or oppose with boldness or courage
“Anger is the last resource left with which to defy the oppressive circumstance.”
To disregard the rules or refuse to conform
“Any member who wishes to defy the rules and policies given to him by his full-time elected officials exposes himself to fines.”
To elude in a baffling way
“It is a fact which would defy belief, were it not the result of an official inquiry.”
To take violent action against an established government or ruler
To ignore disrespectfully
To answer in a cheeky or rude manner
To express dissatisfaction or annoyance about something
To use one's authority to reject or cancel (a decision, view, etc.)
Plural for the state of being intractable
Related Words and Phrases
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