defend

verb
UK: /dɪˈfend/
US: /dɪˈfend/

  1. To protect someone or something from attack or harm.

    1. I will defend you from the monster under your bed tonight. [ ] [ ]
    2. The soldiers had to defend the city against a large invading army. [ ] [ ]

  2. To speak or write in support of someone or something.

    1. I will defend your actions to anyone who questions them. [ ] [ ]
    2. The lawyer had to defend his client who was accused of robbery. [ ] [ ]

Synonyms

protect justify support shield guard
defend transitive-verb

  1. To compete to maintain a title or position in a competition.

    1. He will defend his championship next week at the club. [ ] [ ]
    2. The team will defend their title against a tough opponent this season. [ ] [ ]
defend intransitive-verb

  1. To act in order to protect someone or something.

    1. The dog will defend if someone enters in the yard. [ ] [ ]
    2. The knight would defend himself against the dragon's attack. [ ] [ ]
defend noun

  1. The act of protecting someone or something from harm or attack.

    1. They put up a good defend against the opposing team. [ ] [ ]
    2. The castle's strong walls provided a solid defend against invaders. [ ] [ ]

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "defend" in English means: To protect someone or something from attack or harm., To speak or write in support of someone or something..

The phonetic transcription of "defend" is /dɪˈfend/ in British English and /dɪˈfend/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "defend": protect, justify, support, shield, guard.

Example usage of "defend": "I will defend you from the monster under your bed tonight.". More examples on the page.