# defy vs deny

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### defy
*verb · IPA /dɪˈfaɪ/ · frequency rank #16,683*
To challenge (someone) or brave (a hazard or opposition).

### deny
*verb · IPA /dɪˈnaɪ/ · frequency rank #4,013*
To disallow or reject.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/vs/defy-vs-deny