Défier
Example: Elle a décidé de défier ses amis au jeu de cartes.
Definition
"Défier" means to challenge someone to a contest, competition, or confrontation, often implying a test of skill, courage, or strength. For example, in the phrase 'Elle a décidé de défier ses amis au jeu de cartes,' it means she decided to challenge her friends to a card game.
Etymology
The French verb "défier" comes from the Old French 'desfier,' which itself derives from Latin 'disfidare,' meaning 'to distrust' or 'to renounce a pledge.' Over time, it evolved to mean challenging or daring someone. Did you know? Its root 'fidare' is related to 'faith,' so originally, 'défier' involved breaking trust or daring someone.
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"Défier" appears in the Vocaplus list "French - General - (B1) - set 3", containing 113 commonly used words.
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