Defy
Defy verb - To go against the commands, prohibitions, or rules of.
Usage example: in those days a woman was brave if she defied fashion and wore white after Labor Day
Transgress is a synonym for defy in resist topic. In some cases you can use "Transgress" instead a verb "Defy".
Transgress
Transgress verb - To fail to keep.
Usage example: don't even think about transgressing the drug laws of that Asian country, for punishments are severe and there's nothing that our government can do to intervene
Defy is a synonym for transgress in disobey topic. You can use "Defy" instead a verb "Transgress", if it concerns topics such as resist.
Mutual synonyms
Both words in one sentence
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When they transgress into realms that defy all logic and morality, he goes against even his own financial interest to rebel against it.
Source: Film / Schindler's List
Cite this Source
Transgress and Defy. (2016). Retrieved 2026, July 21, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/defy/transgress
Defy & Transgress. N.p., 2016. Web. 21 Jul. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/defy/transgress>.
Transgress or Defy. 2016. Accessed July 21, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/defy/transgress.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "defy" and "transgress" have occurred on timeline