Counter and Defy

Counter

Counter verb - To strive to reduce or eliminate.
Usage example: efforts to counter poverty in every sector of our country

Defy and counter are semantically related in resist topic. In some cases you can use "Defy" instead a verb "Counter".

Defy

Defy verb - To refuse to give in to.
Usage example: a bicyclist who regularly defies illness and infirmity in order to compete in races

Counter and defy are semantically related in resist topic. Sometimes you can use "Counter" instead a verb "Defy".

Nearby Words: defied, defying

Common collocations

people counter people defy people
order counter order defy order
system counter system defy system
time counter time defy time
Other words: stereotype.

Both words in one sentence

  • She tends to defy him and run counter to his wishes.
  • You Cannot Kill an Idea In fact, the entire concept of New Speak is meant to defy this trope, by systematically eradicating even the words that could express ideas such as liberty, rebellion, or individuality, which run counter to the ideological orthodoxy of the Party.
Cite this Source
Defy and Counter. (2016). Retrieved 2026, July 21, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/counter/defy
Counter & Defy. N.p., 2016. Web. 21 Jul. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/counter/defy>.
Defy or Counter. 2016. Accessed July 21, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/counter/defy.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "counter" and "defy" have occurred on timeline