desafiar
“desafiar” means “to challenge” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
to challenge
Also: to dare
📝 In Action
Él me desafió a una carrera de cien metros.
A2He challenged me to a hundred-meter race.
Los estudiantes desafiaron al profesor a resolver el acertijo.
B1The students challenged the teacher to solve the riddle.
No me desafíes si no estás seguro de ganar.
B1Don't challenge me if you aren't sure about winning.
to defy
Also: to brave
📝 In Action
Ella decidió desafiar las leyes injustas.
B2She decided to defy the unjust laws.
Los escaladores desafiaron el frío extremo para llegar a la cima.
C1The climbers braved the extreme cold to reach the summit.
Su éxito desafía toda lógica.
B2His success defies all logic.
Subjunctive
Imperfect Subjunctive
Present Subjunctive
Indicative
Preterite
Imperfect
Present
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✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: desafiar
Question 1 of 3
Which sentence means 'He braved the storm'?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
From the prefix 'des-' (meaning 'un-' or 'removal') and 'afiar' (related to 'fianza' or 'fe', meaning 'trust' or 'pledge'). Historically, it meant to break a pledge of peace and invite someone to fight.
First recorded: 13th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is 'desafiar' regular?
Yes, it follows the normal pattern for -ar verbs, but you must remember to add an accent to the 'i' in several present-tense forms (like 'desafío' or 'desafías') to pronounce it correctly.
Can I use 'desafiar' for sports?
Absolutely! It is the perfect word for when one team challenges another to a match.
Does it always mean something negative?
Not at all. While it can mean defying authority, it often means 'to challenge' in a positive way, like challenging yourself to learn a new language.