Basic Details
Word: Defiance
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Open refusal to obey a person, a rule or an order.
Synonyms: disobedience, resistance, rebellion, opposition
Antonyms: obedience, submission
How to Spell Defiance
Syllables: de - fi - ance
Tricky part: The y of defy turns into i before ance. Students write defience with an e, or try to keep the y.
Watch out for: defience, defyance, defiense
Memory tip: Start from defy, swap the y for i, and add ance: defy, defi, defiance. The same swap gives defiant.
Usage Examples
Example 1: In defiance of the rules, he parked his scooter right outside the hospital gate.
Example 2: The little boy stamped his foot in defiance when told to go to bed.
Example 3: The villagers showed quiet defiance by refusing to leave their land.
Fun Fact
Gandhi's Salt March of 1930, a walk of about 385 km from Sabarmati to Dandi, ended in open defiance of the British salt law.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Connection
Choose the antonym of the word defiance as used in the sentence:
The protesters sat on the road in defiance of the police order.
a) resistance
b) rebellion
c) disregard
d) obedience
Show answer
d) obedience. Obedience is doing what you are told, which is the very thing the protesters refused.
Word Cookie
Insert the correct pair of letters to form a word:
def_an_e
a) i, s
b) y, s
c) e, c
d) i, c
Show answer
d) i, c. Defy changes its y to i, and the ending ance is spelt with c.
Mingle-Mangle
Unjumble the letters in the sentence to form a meaningful word:
The goalkeeper raised his fist in nacefide as the crowd booed.
a) defence
b) deviance
c) defiance
d) finance
Show answer
c) defiance. The jumble has a d, an f, an i and an a: finance has no d, deviance has no f, and defence has no i or a.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which reply shows defiance?
a) Thank you for the advice.
b) Please tell me what to do.
c) I will not do it, whatever you say.
d) Yes, I will do it at once.
Show answer
c) I will not do it, whatever you say.
2. A defiant child is one who ____.
a) refuses to do as told
b) speaks three languages
c) loves to draw
d) is always very sleepy
Show answer
a) refuses to do as told
