2 syllables: de, fied. Stress on fied.
dif-EYED
/dɪˈfaɪd/
defied is pronounced dif-EYED (/dɪˈfaɪd/). It has two syllables (de-fied), with the stress on "fied". Defied is the verb form meaning to openly resist or refuse to obey. It typically appears as a past tense or past participle in contexts like challenging authority or expectations. The word carries a sense of bold nonconformity and can be used in both narrative and analytical writing to describe deliberate opposition.
Defied is the verb form meaning to openly resist or refuse to obey. It typically appears as a past tense or past participle in contexts like challenging authority or expectations. The word carries a sense of bold nonconformity and can be used in both narrative and analytical writing to describe deliberate opposition.
- Misplacing main stress on the first syllable (say-DEE-fed); ensure the second syllable carries primary stress: /dɪˈfaɪd/. - Inaccurate first vowel: confuse /ɪ/ with /iː/; keep a short lax /ɪ/ before the diphthong. - Slurring into the final /d/ or turning it into a /t/; release the /d/ crisply and avoid voicing bleed into the following word.
"The protesters defied the curfew and remained in the square until midnight."
"She defied the odds and finished the marathon despite an injury."
"The committee defied traditional norms, proposing a radical new policy."
Pronounced /dɪˈfaɪd/. The emphasis is on the second syllable, with the long I sound in the diphthong /aɪ/. Start with a light /d/ release, then /ɪ/ quickly glide into /faɪ/ and finish with a clear /d/. Think 'dih-FYED' with a crisp final D. In careful speech you’ll hear the /ɪ/ as a short, lax vowel before the /faɪ/ sequence.
Common errors include misplacing stress (say-DEE-fed), and pronouncing it as /dəˈfɪd/ or /diˈfaɪd/ with a shorter vowel in the first syllable. The correct pattern is /dɪˈfaɪd/ with primary stress on the second syllable and /ɪ/ in the first vowel. Another slip is slurring into a hard /t/ from /d/ at the end, giving /dɪˈfaɪt/. Practice: emphasize the diphthong /aɪ/ and ensure the final /d/ is released clearly.
In General American, /dɪˈfaɪd/ with a rhotic, and the /ɪ/ before the /ˈ/ is shorter; the /d/ is a clear alveolar stop. In most UK accents, /dɪˈfaɪd/ remains similar, but there may be a subtle vowel length difference and less rhotic influence. Australian speakers usually maintain /dɪˈfaɪd/ with a slightly flatter /ɪ/ and a clipped final /d/. The rhyme with ‘tried’ is evident in all. IPA remains /dɪˈfaɪd/ across accents, with minor vowel quality shifts.
Two main challenges: the two-syllable rhythm with stress on the second syllable can trip speakers who expect two clear trochaic beats. The diphthong /aɪ/ requires a smooth glide from /ɪ/ to /aɪ/, and the final /d/ must be released rather than run into a following consonant. Some pronounce it as /dəˈfaɪd/ or /dɪˈfaɪt/ due to misplacing the syllable boundary. Focus on the strong diphthong, keep the initial /d/ crisp, and finish with a full /d/ release.
A useful tip is to practice the transition from /ɪ/ to /aɪ/ by saying ‘ih-eye’ in one motion, then add the /d/. This trains the mouth to hold the /ɪ/ briefly, then glide into the long /aɪ/ before the final /d/. Visualize a quick tilt from a short vowel to a bright diphthong; keep the lips neutral for /d/ release and avoid lip rounding that could blur the /ɪ/ to /aɪ/ transition.
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- US: kept rhotic but subtle /ɹ/ influence in connected speech; stable /ɪ/ before /ˈfaɪ/ and clear /d/ at the end. - UK: maintain non-rhoticity; the /ɪ/ before /faɪ/ stays short; /d/ released crisply. - AU: similar to UK, but more vowel flattening; keep /ɪ/ short and /aɪ/ clear. IPA references: US /dɪˈfaɪd/, UK /dɪˈfaɪd/, AU /dɪˈfaɪd/.
Defied derives from the Latin defidere, meaning to despair or fail, but its English development is through the Old French defier, meaning to challenge or dare, and the Latin daring sense of obstinacy. The Middle English adoption of defy retained the sense of opposition to authority, often in the form defy or defied as past tense. The root defere is not a direct cognate; instead, defy is built on the Old French defier with the suffix -ed to mark past tense in modern English. First attested in the late 14th century, defy originally carried the idea of challenging or resisting openly. Over time, its connotation shifted to include ambitious or bold acts against norms, not merely opposition to a person but to rules, expectations, or limitations. In contemporary usage, defied is commonly found in narrative past tense to emphasize decisive resistance, rebellion, or courageous noncompliance. The phonetic shift from /dɪˈfaɪ/ to its past tense form maintains primary stress on the second syllable in modern pronunciation, reflecting a standard English stress pattern for two-syllable verbs with a strong syllable after the prefix.
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Words that rhyme with "defied"
-ned sounds
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