difendere

Definition & meaning

Difendere means to defend, protect, or stand up for someone or something against danger, attack, or criticism.

It can also mean to represent or defend someone in a legal case, or to maintain a position or advantage, as in sports.

Grammar & Word origin

• A transitive verb: it usually takes a direct object, as in difendere un amico, “to defend a friend.”
• Its reflexive form, difendersi ↗, means “to defend oneself.”
• It comes from Latin defendere, “to ward off” or “protect.”
• Key forms: present tense difendo; past participle difeso.

Synonyms & antonyms

• proteggere ↗ — “to protect”; emphasizes keeping someone or something safe rather than responding to an attack.
• tutelare ↗ — “to safeguard”; often used for rights, interests, or legal protections.
• sostenere ↗ — “to support”; can overlap when defending an opinion or cause, but does not necessarily imply an attack.
• attaccare ↗ — “to attack”; the opposite in a conflict or competition.
• accusare ↗ — “to accuse”; contrasts with defending someone against an accusation.

Common phrases & collocations

• difendere qualcuno ↗ — to defend someone.
• difendere i propri diritti ↗ — to defend one’s rights.
• difendere una tesi ↗ — to defend an argument or thesis.
• difendersi da un attacco ↗ — to defend oneself against an attack.