Defend — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

verb /di-ˈfend/ de·fend

Meaning & Definition of Defend

Defend (verb)

  1. to drive danger or attack away from
  2. to maintain or support in the face of argument or hostile criticism
  3. to prove (something, such as a doctoral thesis or dissertation) valid by answering questions in an oral exam

Defend (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to drive danger or attack away from

    "a solemn oath to defend the mother country at any cost"

    similar: bulwark, cover, fence, fend, forfend, guard, keep, protect, safeguard, screen, secure, shield, ward, stand up for
    related: avert, prevent, oppose, resist, withstand, battle, contend, fight, war, conserve, preserve, save, buffer, palisade, picket, wall
    opposite: assail, assault, attack
    near: bombard, storm, beset, besiege, overrun, capitulate, cave, submit, yield

  2. to continue to declare to be true or proper despite opposition or objections

    "she will pigheadedly defend any claim regardless of all evidence to the contrary"

    similar: justify, maintain, support, uphold, stand up for, stick up for
    related: advocate, champion, espouse, confirm, vindicate, warrant, affirm, assert, aver, avouch, avow, claim, contend, insist, plead, proclaim, profess, protest, state, argue, debate, discuss, emphasize, stress, underline, underscore
    near: abandon, abjure, forsake, recant, retract, take back, withdraw, reverse, switch, controvert, disprove, rebut, refute

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Defend

The most common words with a similar meaning to Defend:

bulwark, cover, fence, fend, forfend, guard, keep, protect, safeguard, screen, secure, shield, ward, justify, maintain, support, uphold, stand up for, stick up for

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Defend

Words with the opposite meaning of Defend:

assail, assault, attack

Related Words for Defend

avert, prevent, oppose, resist, withstand, battle, contend, fight, war, conserve, preserve, save, buffer, palisade, picket, wall, advocate, champion, espouse, confirm, vindicate, warrant, affirm, assert, aver, avouch, avow, claim, insist, plead

Near Antonyms of Defend

bombard, storm, beset, besiege, overrun, capitulate, cave, submit, yield, abandon, abjure, forsake, recant, retract, take back, withdraw, reverse, switch, controvert, disprove, rebut, refute

Word Forms of Defend

Inflections: defended, defending, defends

Derived words: defendable (adjective)

Origin & Etymology of Defend

Middle English defenden, borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French defendre, defender, going back to Latin dēfendere "to ward off, fend off, repel danger from, protect," from dē- de- + -fendere, presumably, "to strike, hit" (unattested without prefixes), going back to Indo-European *gwhen-dh-, extended determinate form of *gwhen-, *gwhn- "strike, kill," whence Hittite kuenzi "(s/he) kills," kunanzi "(they) kill," Sanskrit hánti "(s/he) strikes, kills," ghnánti "(they) strike, kill," Greek theínein "to strike," épethnon "(I) killed," Old Irish gonaid "(s/he) pierces, wounds, kills," Welsh gwan- "stab, pierce," Lithuanian genù, giñti "to drive (cattle, etc.)," Old Church Slavic ženǫ, gŭnati "to drive, chase out, expel"; also, from nominal derivative *gwhon-, Greek phónos "bloodshed, murder," and from *gwhń̥-tih2, Germanic *gunþī, *gunþjō, whence Old English gūþ "battle, combat," Old Saxon gūđea, Old High German gund-, Old Icelandic gunnr, guðr

First known use: 14th centuryt

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Defend

Frequently Asked Questions about Defend

What does "Defend" mean?

"Defend" means to drive danger or attack away from. As a verb, it is defined as: to drive danger or attack away from. It has 2 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Defend"?

Other words for "Defend" include bulwark, cover, fence, fend, forfend, guard, keep and protect. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Defend" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Defend"?

There are 60 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Defend". Common alternatives include bulwark, cover, fence, fend, forfend, guard, keep, protect, safeguard and screen.

What is the opposite of "Defend"?

Antonyms of "Defend" include assail, assault and attack. Near antonyms include bombard, storm, beset and besiege.

How do you use "Defend" in a sentence?

Examples of "Defend" in a sentence: "a solemn oath to defend the mother country at any cost"; "she will pigheadedly defend any claim regardless of all evidence to the contrary".

Is "Defend" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Defend" is a verb.

Is "Defend" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a B1-level word, "Defend" is typical of Cambridge B1 Preliminary (PET), IELTS band 4.0–5.0, TOEFL iBT 42–71, PTE Academic 43–58, TOEIC Listening & Reading 550+.

How do you pronounce "Defend"?

"Defend" is pronounced /di-ˈfend/ and divided into syllables as de·fend.