despite
[ dih-spahyt ]
/ dɪˈspaɪt /
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.
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RELATED WORDS
Nearby words
desperate, desperately, desperation, despicable, despise, despite, despiteful, despitefully, despiteous, despoil, despoliation
Idioms
in despite of, in spite of; notwithstanding: He was tolerant in despite of his background and education.
Origin of despite
1250–1300; orig. in despite of; Middle English despit < Old French < Latin dēspectus view from a height, scorn, equivalent to dēspec-, variant stem of dēspicere (see despicable) + -tus suffix of v. action
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for despite
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
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