What does defy mean?
Word: Defy
Part of Speech: Verb
Meaning: Defy means to refuse to do what a person or a rule says, or to stand up boldly against something.
Synonyms: disobey, resist, challenge
Antonyms: follow
How do you spell defy?
Syllables: de - fy
Tricky part: The word ends in y, not ie, even though it sounds like the end of pie.
Watch out for: defie, defye, diffy
Memory tip: Defy and deny are both ways of saying no, and both end in a plain y.
Defy in a sentence
Example 1: The kite seemed to defy the strong wind and kept climbing.
Example 2: Do not defy the safety rules at the swimming pool.
Example 3: The tiny plant defied the dry weather and flowered anyway.
Fun Fact
Defy comes from the Old French desfier, which meant to give up your loyalty to a lord and stand against him.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Connection
Choose the antonym of the word:
defy
a) ignore
b) obey
c) rebel
d) oppose
Show answer
b) obey. To oppose, rebel against or ignore a rule is to go against it, as defy does; to obey is to do as you are told.
Spell-o-Spell
Choose the correctly spelt word:
a) rebelion
b) defy
c) stubborness
d) challange
Show answer
b) defy. Defy is right as it is; rebelion is short of an l, challange has a where e belongs, and stubborness has lost an n.
Word Cookie
Find the extra letter in the word:
deffy
a) f
b) y
c) e
d) d
Show answer
a) f. Defy needs only one f.
Word Cookie
Find the misspelt word in the sentence:
My little brother likes to dify bedtime by asking for one more story.
a) bedtime
b) dify
c) brother
d) story
Show answer
b) dify. It starts with de, as in decide.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. A pupil is defying the school rules if he is
a) running in the corridor after being told to walk
b) lining up quietly when the bell rings
c) walking in the corridor as the teacher asked
d) raising a hand before speaking in class
Show answer
a) running in the corridor after being told to walk
2. Which of these seems to defy gravity?
a) an apple falling from a tree
b) rain dripping from a roof
c) a ball rolling down a slope
d) a balloon floating up to the ceiling
Show answer
d) a balloon floating up to the ceiling
