defend
[verb]
Synonyms:
- protect, cover, guard, keep safe, preserve, safeguard, screen, shelter, shield
- support, champion, endorse, justify, speak up for, stand up for, stick up for (informal), uphold, vindicate

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Antonyms: attack
Contrasted words: aggress, assail, assault, fall (on or upon), bombard, storm, beset, besiege, overrun, capitulate, cave, submit, yield, contradict, deny, gainsay, traverse, confute, controvert, disprove, rebut, refute
Related Idioms: stand on the defensive, stave off from, speak (or stand or stick) up for
Related Words: avert, prevent, ward, oppose, resist, withstand, battle, contend, fight, war, conserve, preserve, save, air, express, utter, vent, voice, account, explain, justify, rationalize, back, champion, support, uphold

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English Thesaurus: defend, stand up for somebody/something, stick up for somebody, come to somebody's defenc

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

de‧fend S3 W3 /dɪˈfend/ verb
[Word Family: noun: DEFENCE/DEFENSE, defendant, defender, defensiveness; adjective: DEFENCELESS/DEFENSELESS, defensible ≠ indefensible, defensive; adverb: defensibly ≠ indefensibly, defensively; verb: defend]
[Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: defendre, from Latin defendere, from fendere 'to hit']

1. [intransitive and transitive] to do something in order to protect someone or something from being attacked:
a struggle to defend our homeland
defend something against/from something
the need to defend democracy against fascism
defend yourself (against/from somebody/something)
advice on how women can defend themselves from sex attackers
defend against
We need to defend against military aggression.

2. [transitive] to use arguments to protect something or someone from criticism, or to prove that something is right Antonym : attack:
She was always defending her husband in front of their daughter.
Students should be ready to explain and defend their views.
defend somebody against/from somebody/something
He defended his wife against rumours and allegations.
defend yourself (against/from something)
Cooper wrote to the journal immediately, defending himself.

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In everyday English, people usually say stand up for someone rather than defend someone:
She was the only person who stood up for me at the meeting.

3. [transitive] to do something in order to stop something from being taken away or in order to make it possible for something to continue:
the workers’ attempts to defend their interests
We are defending the right to demonstrate.

4. [intransitive and transitive] to protect your own team’s end of the field in a game such as football, in order to prevent your opponents from getting points Antonym : attack:
Bournemouth defended well throughout the game.

5. [transitive] to take part in a competition that you won the last time it was held, and try to win it again:
The world champion was defending his title.
the defending champion
He is defending a Labour majority of 5,000.

6. [intransitive and transitive] to be a lawyer for someone who has been charged with a crime Antonym : prosecute:
He had top lawyers to defend him.
Howard, defending, said Thompson had been drinking heavily.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

defend
verb
I. protect against attack
PREP. against
PHRASES heavily defended The city was heavily defended against attack.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

defend
II. support
ADV. fiercely, hotly, robustly, staunchly, stoutly, strenuously, strongly, vigorously The company has strenuously defended its decision to reduce the workforce.
publicly
PREP. against She defended her department against accusations of incompetence.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

defend
III. in sport/competitions
ADV. successfully
PREP. against The champion successfully defended his title against the American challenger.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

defend to say something to support an idea or person when other people are criticizing them:
The mayor defended the action, saying that it was the best option.
stand up for somebody/something to strongly defend someone who is being criticized, or strongly defend your ideas or your rights:
My grandfather would always stand up for what was right.
I don't want him fighting, but I do want him to stand up for himself.
stick up for somebody informal to strongly defend someone who is being criticized, especially when no one else will defend them:
The other kids tease her, but Sarah often sticks up for her.
come to somebody's defence British English (also come to somebody's defense American English) to say something to defend someone who is being criticized:
Aitken's colleagues quickly came to his defence.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲