defy
Definitions
To openly resist or refuse to obey a person or rule
公然反抗，违抗
To resist or withstand something to a remarkable degree (defy gravity, defy logic)
（程度上）超出，使无法做到（如 defy gravity 违反重力）
To challenge someone to do something they likely cannot
激将，挑战（某人去做难以做到之事）
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedFrom Old French desfier: des- (un-, away) + fier (to trust, from Latin fīdere). To defy someone was originally to renounce your bond of faith with them — 'I no longer owe you loyalty.' That public break of trust became today's sense: openly resist or refuse to obey. The 'fy' here is a worn-down form of the fid root, not the verb-making suffix -fy in 'simplify.'
Root fid still carries 16 more wordsWhy It Means This
Defy is the odd cousin of the trust family. Every other fid word is about giving, keeping, or quietly lacking trust — defy is about publicly throwing it back. The medieval meaning ('renounce my allegiance to you') faded, but the confrontational edge stayed, which is why 'defy gravity' or 'defy expectations' still feels like a bold challenge to something powerful.
Common Collocations
- 1.defy authority违抗权威
- 2.defy logic违背逻辑
- 3.defy the odds战胜困难
- 4.defy expectations出乎预料
- 5.defy gravity违反重力
Example Sentences
- 1.
The protesters defied the ban and marched anyway.
- 2.
The acrobat seemed to defy gravity in mid-air.
- 3.
Her recovery defied all the doctors' predictions.
- 4.
I defy anyone to prove me wrong.