Vocabulary
Defy
English and Urdu gloss, synonyms and antonyms, and example usage from our editorial sentence cache where available.
English meaning
openly resist or refuse to obey.
Urdu meaning
مزاحمت کرنا، مقابلہ کرنا، خم ٹھونکنا
Example sentences (from Dawn)
Sentences are selected from stored editorial text where your search word appears. If none appear yet, run the admin sentence generator for fuller coverage.
- There are few who would dare defy the most powerful person in the world.
- Pakistan has, from time to time, produced individuals who quietly defy the dominant currents of fear and division.
- This month alone has seen weather swings that defy historical precedent.
- But in Balochistan, we defy not just common wisdom but also what has been practised elsewhere in Pakistan.
- These numbers also defy the frequently claimed quantum of surplus flows below Kotri Barrage to justify new reservoirs and canals in the Indus basin.
Synonyms
disobey, refuse to obey, go against, rebel against, flout, fly in the face of, thumb one’s nose at
Curator example
“a woman who defies convention”
More vocabulary to explore
About this vocabulary section.
These entries support close reading of Dawn editorials and opinion pieces: short definitions,
Urdu equivalents where we have them, word relations, and—when generated—real lines from the editorial archive
so you can see tone and usage.
Common questions
- Do I need to sign up to use this vocabulary page?
- No. Word pages are open to everyone. You can read meanings in English and Urdu, synonyms and antonyms, and example sentences without creating an account.
- Where do the example sentences come from?
- When available, example sentences are drawn from cached matches in our Dawn editorial corpus so you can see how a word is used in real newsroom-style prose.
- How is this different from a dictionary?
- This section is curated for students preparing for competitive exams and editorial reading. Entries are compact, often include Urdu glosses, and are paired with in-context lines from editorials when we have them.
