despite

American  

[dih-spahyt] / dɪˈspaɪt /

preposition

1. in spite of; notwithstanding.

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noun

1. contemptuous treatment; insult.

2. malice, hatred, or spite.

verb (used with object)

despited, despiting

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

idioms

1. in despite of, in spite of; notwithstanding.

   He was tolerant in despite of his background and education.

despite British  

/ dɪˈspaɪt /

preposition

1. in spite of; undeterred by

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noun

1. archaic contempt; insult

2. rare (preposition) in spite of

verb

1. (tr) an archaic word for spite

Related Words

See notwithstanding.

Etymology

Origin of despite

First recorded in 1250–1300; originally in despite of; Middle English despit, from Old French, from Latin dēspectus “view from a height, scorn,” originally past participle of dēspicere; despicable ( def. )

Example Sentences

They arrived at the first venue to cheers from crowds who had gathered outside despite the wet weather, many waving Welsh flags and holding bunches of daffodils.

From BBC

First, it’s now clear that, despite these net inflows, the U.S. stock market has lagged behind and its underperformance is starting to show up in year-over-year comparisons.

From MarketWatch

The company said its sales growth and operational improvements allowed it to maintain profitability “despite macroeconomic headwinds and higher beef costs.”

From The Wall Street Journal

She understood that despite the character’s misbehavior in the series — like breaking into her boss’ office — she’s decently good at her job.

From Los Angeles Times

Villarreal: I thought he did a wonderful job last year despite a lot of turmoil in his life that was happening at the same time.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• in spite of
• regardless of