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

The eurozone’s unemployment rate in November unexpectedly declined for the first time in seven months, showing the labor market’s resilience despite last year’s uncertain economic environment.

From The Wall Street Journal

“That said, we remain constructive on gold, and elevated spot prices may help cushion near-term earnings despite weaker operating performance.”

From The Wall Street Journal

“However, despite the media attention, it is still in the range that one would expect with a moderate to severe flu season; there is not pressure on hospital beds, ICU beds or ventilators.”

From Salon

That valuation comes despite two consecutive years of electric-vehicle sales declines.

From Barron's

Retail giants Tesco and Marks & Spencer both saw a bump in food sales over the vital Christmas period despite both mentioning a challenging economic backdrop.

From BBC

Related Words

• in spite of
• regardless of