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单词 defy
释义

defyverb [ T ]

uk/dɪˈfaɪ/us/dɪˈfaɪ/

C2 to refuse to obey a person, decision, law, situation, etc.:

It is rare to see children openly defying their teachers.
A few workers have defied the majority decision and gone into work despite the strike.
The fact that aircraft don't fall out of the sky always seems to me to defy (= act against) the law of gravity.
A forest fire raging in southern California is defying (= is not changed by) all attempts to control it.
defy belief/description/explanation

C2 to be extreme or very strange and therefore impossible to believe, describe, or explain:

The chaos at the airport defies description.
defy sb to do sth

to tell someone to do something that you think will be impossible:

I defy you to prove your accusations.
I defy you to tell where I've painted over the scratch on my car.

More examples

  • The mess in Bart's room defies description!
  • His remarkable recovery defied all medical augury.
  • In 1970 he defied the three-line whip against EC membership.
  • They defied convention by giving up their jobs and becoming self-sufficient.
  • Tom Cruise has performed his own stunts for Mission Impossible 2, defying warnings from professionals.

Thesaurus: synonyms and related words

Refusing & rejecting

  • abnegate
  • blow
  • bugger
  • damned
  • demur
  • derecognize
  • disclaim
  • door
  • override
  • react against sth
  • refusal
  • shoot
  • shun
  • sit
  • sit sth out
  • throw
  • throw sth out
  • turn sb away
  • vote sth down
  • wash

See more results »

You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:

Opposing & against
Preventing and impeding
Giving orders & commands
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更新时间:2024/12/23 22:10:13