to refuse to obey a person, decision, law, situation, etc.

It is rare to see children openly defying their teachers. 很少看见孩子公然跟老师作对。

A few workers have defied the majority decision and gone into work despite the strike. 几个工人不顾大多数人的罢工决定自己去上工了。

The fact that aircraft don't fall out of the sky always seems to me to defy (= act against) the law of gravity. 我总认为飞机没有从天上掉下来，是不符合万有引力定律的。

A forest fire raging in southern California is defying (= is not changed by) all attempts to control it. 尽管采取了各种措施，加利福尼亚南部的一场森林大火依然在肆虐。

to be extreme or very strange and therefore impossible to believe, describe, or explain

The chaos at the airport defies description. 机场一片混乱，难以用语言形容。

His speed when he's running defies belief.

This is a level of wickedness that defies explanation.

The originality of her ideas almost defies description.

Despite all that we know about the octopus, many aspects of its behaviour still defy explanation.

to tell someone to do something that you think will be impossible

I defy you to prove your accusations. 我倒要看看你能不能拿出证据来证实你的指控。

I defy you to tell where I've painted over the scratch on my car. 你倒是给我指出来车的哪个地方因为有划痕而补过漆。

I defy you to find a better cup of coffee anywhere in this city.

She defied me to come up with a more plausible explanation.

I defy you to read this description without laughing.