Transcription
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- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- UK Pronunciation
- UK IPA
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- [dih-fend]
- /dɪˈfɛnd/
- /dɪˈfend/
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- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
-
- [dih-fend]
- /dɪˈfɛnd/
Definitions of defend word
- verb defend If you defend someone or something, you take action in order to protect them. 3
- verb defend If you defend someone or something when they have been criticized, you argue in support of them. 3
- verb defend When a lawyer defends a person who has been accused of something, the lawyer argues on their behalf in a court of law that the charges are not true. 3
- verb defend When a sports player plays in the tournament which they won the previous time it was held, you can say that they are defending their title. 3
- verb defend to protect (a person, place, etc) from harm or danger; ward off an attack on 3
- verb defend to support in the face of criticism, esp by argument or evidence 3
Information block about the term
Origin of defend
First appearance:
before 1200 One of the 9% oldest English words
1200-50; Middle English defenden < Old French defendre < Latin dēfendere to ward off, equivalent to dē- de- + -fendere to strike
Historical Comparancy
Parts of speech for Defend
noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation
defend popularity
A common word. It’s meaning is known to most children of preschool age. About 90% of English native speakers know the meaning and use the word.
Most Europeans know this English word. The frequency of it’s usage is somewhere between "mom" and "screwdriver".
defend usage trend in Literature
This diagram is provided by Google Ngram ViewerSynonyms for defend
verb defend
- preserve — to keep alive or in existence; make lasting: to preserve our liberties as free citizens.
- contend — If you have to contend with a problem or difficulty, you have to deal with it or overcome it.
- hold — to have or keep in the hand; keep fast; grasp: She held the purse in her right hand. He held the child's hand in his.
- secure — free from or not exposed to danger or harm; safe.
- uphold — to support or defend, as against opposition or criticism: He fought the duel to uphold his family's honor.
Antonyms for defend
verb defend
- desert — A desert is a large area of land, usually in a hot region, where there is almost no water, rain, trees, or plants.
- surrender — to yield (something) to the possession or power of another; deliver up possession of on demand or under duress: to surrender the fort to the enemy; to surrender the stolen goods to the police.
- release — to lease again.
- harm — a U.S. air-to-surface missile designed to detect and destroy radar sites by homing on their emissions.
- injure — to do or cause harm of any kind to; damage; hurt; impair: to injure one's hand.
Top questions with defend
- how to defend yourself?
- how do sloths defend themselves?
- how to defend against a dog?
- how to defend yourself against false accusations?
- why did the confederates defend petersburg so fiercely?
- how to defend yourself from harassment allegations?
- how to defend yourself in court?
- how to defend against false accusations?
- how to defend yourself in a fight?
- what does defend mean?
- how to defend in basketball?
- how to defend yourself verbally?
- how to defend?
- how to defend yourself at work?
- how to defend yourself when attacked?