# defy

Pronunciation: say "di-FY" /dɪˈfaɪ/

## Verb

1. To openly refuse to obey a person, law, or authority.
   - Simple: To refuse to obey a person in charge or a rule they have set.
   - _The protesters defied the curfew and gathered in the square._
   - _Citizens who defy the law risk arrest._
2. To challenge someone to act, or to bravely face a hazard or opposition.
   - Simple: To dare someone to do something, or to face danger without fear.
   - _The climbers defied the freezing winds to reach the summit._
   - _I defy anyone to find a better deal in town._
3. To fail to match or follow a pattern, set of rules, or expectations.
   - Simple: To not match or follow what is normal or expected.
   - _These strange findings defy any simple explanation._
   - _The building's design defied every rule of traditional architecture._

## Verb

4. To renounce or dissolve all bonds of loyalty, faith, or obligation with someone; to reject or disown. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: To break all your promises and ties to someone, and turn away from them.

## Noun

5. A challenge, such as one issued to provoke a fight or contest. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: A challenge, especially one daring another person to fight.
   - _The herald carried a defy from one lord to another._
   - _His public defy demanded an answer in arms._

## Origin

From Old French desfier, from Vulgar Latin *disfidare ('renounce one's faith'), formed from Latin dis- ('away') and fidus ('faithful'). In the 14th century its meaning shifted from 'be disloyal' to 'challenge'; compare confide, fidelity, and faith.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/defy (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).