What part of speech is defying?

"Defying" can be a few different parts of speech, depending on how it's used in a sentence:

* Verb: "The rebels defying the king's orders." (This is the most common usage)

* Adjective: "The team showed defying courage in the face of defeat." (This is less common)

* Gerund: "Defying authority is risky." (This acts as a noun)

It's important to look at the sentence to determine the intended meaning and part of speech.