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British

despite

[ dih-spahyt ]

/ dɪˈspaɪt /

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See synonyms for: despite / despites on Thesaurus.com

preposition

in spite of; notwithstanding.

noun

contemptuous treatment; insult.

malice, hatred, or spite.

verb (used with object), de·spit·ed, de·spit·ing.

Obsolete. to anger or annoy (someone) out of spite.

VIDEO FOR DESPITE

What's The Difference Between "Spite" And "Despite"?

If you cut off your nose despite your face, that’s like lopping off your schnoz without any regard to your face. But if you cut off your nose to spite your face, you’re doing because you’re so mad at it. So which is it?

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QUIZ

QUIZ YOURSELF ON "WAS" VS. "WERE"!

Were you ready for a quiz on this topic? Well, here it is! See how well you can differentiate between the uses of "was" vs. "were" in this quiz.

Question 1 of 7

“Was” is used for the indicative past tense of “to be,” and “were” is only used for the subjunctive past tense.

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Idioms about despite

in despite of, in spite of; notwithstanding: He was tolerant in despite of his background and education.

Origin of despite

1250–1300; originally in despite of;Middle English despit from Old French from Latin dēspectus “view from a height, scorn,” equivalent to dēspec-, variant stem of dēspicere (see despicable) + -tus suffix of verbal action

synonym study for despite

1. See notwithstanding.

Words nearby despite

desperate, desperately, desperation, despicable, despise, despite, despiteful, despiteous, Des Plaines, despoil, despoliation

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use despite in a sentence

Despite the strong language, however, the neither the JPO nor Lockheed could dispute a single fact in either Daily Beast report.
Pentagon Misfires in Stealth Jet Scandal|Dave Majumdar|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
NEW ORLEANS — John Boehner was reelected House Speaker yesterday by his Republican colleagues despite some dissenting members.
The Price of Steve Scalise’s Silence|Jason Berry|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Its biggest asset, of course, is the steely Atwell, who never asks you to feel sorry for Carter despite all the sexism around her.
Marvel’s ‘Agent Carter’ Stomps on the Patriarchy|Melissa Leon|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The rebels though seemed somewhat chastened by the result despite more than doubling the anti-Boehner votes from two years ago.
Democrats Accidentally Save Boehner From Republican Coup|Ben Jacobs, Jackie Kucinich|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST

The copilot on Flight 8501 was Remi Emmanuel Piesel, 46, who despite his age had just 2,275 hours of flying experience.
Annoying Airport Delays Might Prevent You From Becoming the Next AirAsia 8501|Clive Irving|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The conclusion is reached that, despite these drawbacks, the Jesuit mission in Canada has made a hopeful beginning.
The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. II: Acadia, 1612-1614|Various
Some critics feel that, despite much that is desirable in her work, the soul is lacking in the women she paints.
Women in the fine arts, from the Seventh Century B.C. to the Twentieth Century A.D.|Clara Erskine Clement
Hunter-Weston despite his heavy losses will be advancing to-morrow which should divert pressure from you.
Gallipoli Diary, Volume I|Ian Hamilton
Long Jack was a prominent, but despite his joviality, it seems to me a pathetic figure.
Fifty Years of Railway Life in England, Scotland and Ireland|Joseph Tatlow
Despite the arrogant manner of his address, Garnache felt prepossessed in the newcomer's favour.
St. Martin's Summer|Rafael Sabatini

British Dictionary definitions for despite

despite

/ (dɪˈspaɪt) /

preposition

in spite of; undeterred by

noun

archaic contempt; insult

in despite of (preposition) rare in spite of

verb

(tr) an archaic word for spite

Word Origin for despite

C13: from Old French despit, from Latin dēspectus contempt; see despise

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012