ENGLISH
REFERENCE

defying

v.
B2 Upper Intermediate US //dɪˈfaɪɪŋ// UK //dɪfˈaɪɪŋ// de·fy·ing

v. to refuse to obey a person, a rule, or a law. It can also mean doing something that seems impossible, like a person who survives a very dangerous accident.

v. to openly resist or refuse to obey; to challenge the power or authority of someone or something. Often describes actions that appear to transcend physical laws or conventional expectations.


SIMPLE

The young athlete is defying the odds by winning every race.

CONTEXTUAL

By refusing to pay the illegal fine, the small business owner is openly defying the local council.

COMPLEX

The ancient cathedral remains standing today, defying the passage of time and the numerous conflicts that have leveled the surrounding city over the centuries.

Synonyms
Usage

The verb is transitive and requires a direct object; it is the present participle of 'defy'.

Pitfall

defying to the rulesdefying the rulesDefy is a transitive verb and should not be followed by the preposition 'to'.

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