age-defying
|age-de-fy-ing|
/ˈeɪdʒ dɪˈfaɪɪŋ/
(age-defy)
resisting age
Etymology
'age-defying' originates from English, combining 'age' and the present participle 'defying' (from the verb 'defy'). 'Age' comes via Old French and ultimately from Latin 'aetas' meaning 'age' or 'period of life'; 'defy' comes from Old French (desfier) meaning 'to renounce faith / challenge'.
'age' entered Middle English from Old French 'aage' (from Latin 'aetas'), while 'defy' developed from Old French 'desfier' to Middle English forms like 'defyen' and eventually modern English 'defy'; the compound 'age-defying' formed by combining these elements in modern English usage.
Individually, 'age' originally referred simply to a period of life and 'defy' to challenge or refuse; in the compound 'age-defying' the sense evolved into 'resisting or counteracting the effects of aging' rather than a literal challenge to age as a personified entity.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Verb 1
present participle form of 'age-defy' (to resist or challenge the effects of aging).
The company advertises age-defying formulas designed to firm skin.
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Adjective 1
having the effect of preventing or reducing visible signs of aging; seeming to resist or reverse aging.
She uses an age-defying serum that reduces fine lines and evens skin tone.
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Last updated: 2025/10/14 10:41