3
b
: detriment, disadvantage
I know of no government which stands to its obligations, even in its own despite, more solidly …—
Sir Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Churchillsee also in despite of
despited; despiting
Examples of despite in a Sentence
Preposition
Many children are shy around strangers, of course, but Jacob's reticence is different. He suffers from a rare childhood disorder … that renders him so anxious in the company of others that he cannot, despite all his efforts, utter a single word.
—Kathy Ehrich Dowd et al., People, 18 Feb. 2008
That's exactly what researchers at Texas A & M University have done with Smart Little Lena, a stallion (despite the name) famed for its cow herding skills.
—Henry Nicholls, New Scientist, 1-7 Apr. 2006
Despite the thriving trade in manuscripts that occurred throughout the Greek and Roman empires, many plays, poems, and philosophical musings by writers such as Aeschylus, Euripides, Aristophanes, and Sophocles have been lost.
—Physics Today, June 2005
we went to the party despite the bad weather outside
Noun
pointedly ignored his false friend out of despite
sheer despite was the sole reason for her hurtful comments
Kathy Ehrich Dowd et al., People, 18 Feb. 2008
That's exactly what researchers at Texas A & M University have done with Smart Little Lena, a stallion (despite the name) famed for its cow herding skills.
—Henry Nicholls, New Scientist, 1-7 Apr. 2006
Despite the thriving trade in manuscripts that occurred throughout the Greek and Roman empires, many plays, poems, and philosophical musings by writers such as Aeschylus, Euripides, Aristophanes, and Sophocles have been lost.
—Physics Today, June 2005
we went to the party despite the bad weather outside
Noun
pointedly ignored his false friend out of despite
sheer despite was the sole reason for her hurtful comments
Recent Examples on the Web
Anchorage Daily News, 7 May 2020
And despite the gameplay and unpredictability down the stretch, that is kind of what happened.
—Dalton Ross, EW.com, 7 May 2020
Julia Mueller, The Hill, 11 Sep. 2025
Using that unscientific tool to gauge his Texas Rangers, the club after the first month of the season remains unchanged despites many changes: Average, and a stunning disappointment.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Aug. 2025
Valentina Martinez, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 June 2025
Fletcher acknowledged the brand’s impressive growth, despited being stocked in only a few hundred stores, and envisions a strong future ahead.
—Douglas Yu, Forbes, 7 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for despite
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Preposition
And despite her plans being waylayed, time is on her side.
—Anchorage Daily News, 7 May 2020
And despite the gameplay and unpredictability down the stretch, that is kind of what happened.
—Dalton Ross, EW.com, 7 May 2020
Noun
Political observers think Talarico could surge to the fore in the primary despite, or perhaps because of, his outsider status.
—Julia Mueller, The Hill, 11 Sep. 2025
Using that unscientific tool to gauge his Texas Rangers, the club after the first month of the season remains unchanged despites many changes: Average, and a stunning disappointment.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Aug. 2025
Verb
Meanwhile, Alonso has earned two All-Star selections the last two season despited posting an OPS below .800 last season and hitting just .211 in 2023.
—Valentina Martinez, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 June 2025
Fletcher acknowledged the brand’s impressive growth, despited being stocked in only a few hundred stores, and envisions a strong future ahead.
—Douglas Yu, Forbes, 7 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for despite
Cite this Entry
“Despite.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/despite. Accessed 12 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
despite
1 of 2 noun
de·spite
di-ˈspīt 
despite
2 of 2 preposition
: in spite of
ran despite an injury
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