defiance

noun

di-ˈfī-ən(t)s How to pronounce defiance (audio)
Definition of defiancenext
1
as in rebellion
refusal to obey any defiance of the authoritarian regime would have dire consequences

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in opposition
the inclination to resist the troubled youth seems to have an ingrained defiance to authority of any sort

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in aggression
an inclination to fight or quarrel a deeply troubled person who seemed the very soul of defiance

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of defiance These women — cradle Catholics and converts, former nuns, teachers, hospice chaplains, counselors, spouses, mothers, grandmothers — say their defiance is the fulfillment of a vocation, no different than the call answered by their male counterparts. — Jonathan Bullington, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026 In bleak moments under previous coach Ruben Amorim, his name was sung, almost in defiance. — Laurie Whitwell, New York Times, 13 Oct. 2026 Taking the Long Way, more than anger or defiance, zeroes in on the sting of being ousted from your own home. — Shaad D’souza, Pitchfork, 11 Oct. 2026 The widespread use of arrests, tear gas and riot-control weapons against teenagers is fueling defiance and angering some parents and teachers. — Nicolas Garriga, Arkansas Online, 7 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for defiance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defiance
  1. rebellion
  2. opposition
  3. aggression
  4. willfulness
  5. resistance
  6. aggressiveness
  7. rebelliousness
  8. objection
Noun
  • Within 36 hours one of the prisoners had an apparent mental breakdown, and on the second day the inmates staged a rebellion.
    — Jacopo Prisco, CNN Money, 21 Oct. 2026
  • In their utopian reconstruction of a mythic past, the Agrarians’ polemics failed to mention the South’s legacies of slavery and rebellion.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of rebellion
Noun
  • In October 2023, Machado won an opposition primary and intended to challenge Maduro in the 2024 presidential election, but the government barred her from running for office.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado has returned to Venezuela after ten months abroad, announcing her arrival in a social media post.
    — Carrie Kahn, NPR, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of opposition
Noun
  • Trump and Lee must restore deterrence, not reward Kim’s aggression, to avoid strategic and economic calamity.
    — Dan Blumenthal, Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2026
  • The aggression paid off as Kansas converted five fourth downs while improving to 3-4 overall and 1-3 in the Big 12.
    — Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of aggression
Noun
  • And from that boredom, a different kind of will, the willfulness that accompanies a need to destroy that happiness.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2026
  • From grandmother to grandchild, these three sets of two sisters were powerful characters possessed with passion, willfulness, bravery, and devotion to each other.
    — Griffin Dunne, Vanity Fair, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of willfulness
Noun
  • By understanding how these products evolve and diversify in bacteria, scientists might be able to tackle current resistance that humans have developed to some of the antibiotics that exist.
    — Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2026
  • In the hills surrounding Taiz, the government forces are trying to repel the Houthis but face stiff resistance, especially east of the city.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of resistance
Noun
  • Furthermore, CNNs are exceeding in disease detection and predicting disease aggressiveness and patient prognosis.
    — Esha Desai, Hartford Courant, 4 Oct. 2026
  • So will the aggressiveness of the defender after giving up a rebound.
    — Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of aggressiveness
Noun
  • That’s great news for Vanguart’s four cofounders, who established the company in 2018 with a wealth of experience, if not some serious horological rebelliousness.
    — Rachel Ingram, Robb Report, 18 Oct. 2026
  • The stigma helped imprint a stamp of rebelliousness on the brand which lives on today, says Carpenter, even as Burton has become a fixture on resort slopes across the world and within the annals of Olympian history.
    — Tom Huddleston Jr., CNBC, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of rebelliousness
Noun
  • The City Council voted it down, and the mayor's opponents passed an alternate budget plan over his objections.
    — Chris Tye, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Ignoring those objections would mean losing the exemption, Martin said.
    — Camila Grigera Naón, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of objection

Phrases Containing defiance

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defer (to)
defiance
defiances
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Cite this Entry

“Defiance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defiance. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on defiance

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about defiance

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