Where does “defiant” come from?
Defiant comes from French défiant, the present participle of French défier, which combines French dé- and Middle French des-, ultimately from Latin ferus meaning wild, and Proto-Indo-European bʰidʰ-.
defiant (English): Defying; Boldly resisting opposition; One who...
Definitions
- Defying; Boldly resisting opposition; One who...
Ancestry of “defiant”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | French | défiant | present participle of défier; mistrustful |
| 2 | Old French | desfiant | — |
Words derived from “defiant”