de•fy
Pronunciation: (v.di-fī'n.di-fī', dē'fī), [key]
— v., n., pl. -fied, -fy•ing, -fies.
—v.t.
- to challenge the power of; resist boldly or openly: to defy parental authority.
- to offer effective resistance to: a fort that defies attack.
- to challenge (a person) to do something deemed impossible: They defied him to dive off the bridge.
- to challenge to a combat or contest.
—n.
- a challenge; a defiance.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.