Dictionary

dexify en · VERB

Etymology

Blend of defend + explain + justify.

Meanings

1. Defend, explain, and/or justify.
   • We may “dexify” — try to defend, explain and justify — so that the angry person will stop being angry with us. 1998 March 10, Robert Holman Coombs, Surviving Medical School, Thousand Oaks; London; New Delhi: Sage Publications, →ISBN, →OL, page 145:
   • Powerful people don't dexify (defend, explain, or justify). 1991, Roberta Jean Bryant, Stop Improving Yourself and Start Living, New World Library, →ISBN, →OL, page 65:
   • This is a common masochistic sabotage that I describe with the acronym "dexify." When individuals defend, explain, or justify, they are unnecessarily supporting the reasons for their decision and giving others the opportunity to rebut their rationale. 1986, David Brandt, Don't Stop Now, You're Killing Me: The Sadomasochism Game in Everyday Life and How Not to Play It, Poseidon Press, →ISBN, →OL, page 88:
   • The reason for this is that when you ask "why" questions people feel defensive and have a tendency to "dexify" (defend, explain, justify) what they said. 1991 March, David Farlow, “Principles of Rapport - Focus Group Moderation”, in Quirk's Marketing Research Review, volume 5:

Forms