defy vs resist

defy and resist both are verbs.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
defy	No	No	Yes	No
resist	No	No	Yes	No

As verbs, resist is a hypernym of defy; that is, resist is a word with a broader meaning than defy:

Other hypernyms of defy include hold out, stand firm, withstand.

As verbs, defy and resist are synonyms defined as:

Other synonyms of defy include refuse.

defy (verb)	resist (verb)
challenge	stand up or offer resistance to somebody or something
resist or confront with resistance	withstand the force of something
elude, especially in a baffling way	refuse to comply
	express opposition through action or words
	elude, especially in a baffling way
	resist immunologically the introduction of some foreign tissue or organ