defy
de-fy · verb
Definitions
verb
- 1.
To openly resist or refuse to obey.
- 2.
To challenge someone to do something believed to be impossible.
- 3.
To resist or be beyond the power of something.
Related words
Etymology
From Old French desfier, from Vulgar Latin disfidare meaning "to renounce one's faith," from Latin dis- (away) + fidus (faithful). Originally meant "to challenge to combat" in feudal times, where breaking faith with one's lord was a serious matter. The modern sense of resistance developed from this confrontational meaning.