defiant
Etymology

Borrowed from French défiant, from the verb défier.

Pronunciation
  • (British) IPA: /dɪˈfaɪ(j)ənt/
  • (America) IPA: /dɪˈfaɪənt/
Adjective

defiant

  1. Defying.
    • 1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 15, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC ↗:
      She paused and took a defiant breath. ‘If you don't believe me, I can't help it. But I'm not a liar.’ ¶ ‘No,’ said Luke, grinning at her. ‘You're not dull enough! […] What about the kid's clothes? I don't suppose they were anything to write home about, but didn't you keep anything? A bootee or a bit of embroidery or anything at all?’
  2. Boldly resisting opposition.
Synonyms Antonyms Translations Translations Noun

defiant (plural defiants)

  1. One who defies opposition.
    • 1966, British Broadcasting Corporation. Monitoring Service, Summary of World Broadcasts: Non-Arab Africa (issues 2262-2303)
      Countries condemning South Africa, Portugal and Rhodesia still find it necessary to trade with these defiants against so-called world opinion.
    • John Michael Doris, Lack of Character: Personality and Moral Behavior (page 48)
      Damn the obedients and hail the defiants if you will; the experiment does not motivate confidence about how particular subjects would behave in markedly dissimilar situations.



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