Openly resisted or refused to obey an authority, rule, or challenge; stood up against something with courage.
From Old French 'defier' meaning to disavow or challenge, from Latin 'dis-' (opposite) + 'fidare' (to trust). Entered English by the 1300s with meaning of bold resistance.
When someone 'defies gravity' in physics or 'defies explanation' in description, we're using a word originally meaning to challenge a person—it shows how one rebellious human action became a metaphor for fighting against reality itself.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.