as in notwithstanding
without being prevented by
we went to the party despite the bad weather outside
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in contempt
open dislike for someone or something considered unworthy of one's concern or respect
pointedly ignored his false friend out of despite
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in malice
the desire to cause pain for the satisfaction of doing harm
sheer despite was the sole reason for her hurtful comments
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in disadvantage
the negative result caused by something that creates difficulty for achieving success
baffled as to why working-class voters would vote in despite of their own economic interests
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of despite
al, 6 May 2020
Los Angeles County beaches will remain closed for the time being, despite other coastal stretches reopening — with limitations — this week in nearby Orange County with the state’s blessing.
—Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2020
Andrew Hirschfeld, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2019
And then - despite barely stepping over the halfway line - the hosts hit the crossbar and had a shout for a penalty.
—SI.com, 25 Aug. 2019
See All Example Sentences for despite
Preposition
Through the family’s ups and downs, Copeland was a steadying presence, despite his disability.
—al, 6 May 2020
Los Angeles County beaches will remain closed for the time being, despite other coastal stretches reopening — with limitations — this week in nearby Orange County with the state’s blessing.
—Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2020
Noun
Harris’ campaign fundraising output has stayed consistent in first quarter around $12 million and $11.8 million in second quarter despite, as first reported by Politico, shakeups among senior campaign staff.
—Andrew Hirschfeld, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2019
And then - despite barely stepping over the halfway line - the hosts hit the crossbar and had a shout for a penalty.
—SI.com, 25 Aug. 2019
See All Example Sentences for despite
Recent Examples of Synonyms for despite
Preposition
-
Assuming the cease-fire Donald Trump negotiated between the U.S., Israel, and Iran holds — some confusion over the timing of that arrangement notwithstanding — the twelve-day war over Iran’s nuclear program concluded early this morning.—
Noah Rothman,
National Review,
24 June 2025
-
Shifting a player at the end of June and recognising an immediate benefit is possible, whereas suddenly banking a huge slug of income — the ongoing FIFA Club World Cup notwithstanding — is rather harder to manufacture.—
Chris Weatherspoon,
New York Times,
21 June 2025
Noun
-
And to date, the Republican majority, which has subpoena power, which has the ability to move bills to the floor, which has the ability to hold administration officials in contempt, has shown precisely zero interest in doing that.—
Michel Martin,
NPR,
24 June 2025
-
Violating the terms of a gang injunction could land someone in contempt of court, a misdemeanor that carries up to a six-month sentence.—
Sean Emery,
Oc Register,
24 June 2025
Noun
-
The charges included one count of malice murder and one count of felony murder; three counts of cruelty to children in the first degree; three counts of false imprisonment; three counts of contributing to the dependency of a minor; and three counts of kidnapping.—
Rachel Raposas,
People.com,
19 June 2025
-
The suit, filed this week in Dallas County District court, accuses Gateway Church founder Robert Morris and others of libel, malice, defamation, slander, failure to report, civil conspiracy, intentional infliction of emotional distress and unjust enrichment.—
Alexandra Koch,
FOXNews.com,
13 June 2025
Noun
-
Beadle is at a distinct disadvantage in aspiring to one spot where Brighton have an abundance of depth.—
Andy Naylor,
New York Times,
27 June 2025
-
This leaves key flexibility providers, including batteries, demand response, and distributed energy resources, at a disadvantage when competing for market revenues.—
Elena Bou,
Forbes.com,
25 June 2025
Noun
-
Trump’s disdain for multilateralism is also imperiling the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.—
KORI SCHAKE,
Foreign Affairs,
24 June 2025
-
Internet viewers have gone wild for a fruit-loving cat not shy about sharing his disdain for bananas.—
Rachael O'Connor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 June 2025
Noun
-
In spite of SSDs capturing market share due to speed and efficiency, their higher cost per terabyte continues to make HDDs indispensable for large-scale storage.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
27 June 2025
-
The rally reflects growing investor confidence in the chipmaker’s dominance in artificial intelligence, in spite of export restrictions to China.—
Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
26 June 2025
Noun
-
Numerous reasons exist for why getting a driver’s license is either more challenging today or may not provide sufficient benefits, including the licensing process, the expense of vehicle ownership and maintenance and safety concerns.—
Selika Josiah Talbott,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2025
-
Despite the costs of containment, USDA economists estimate that maintaining the eradication program delivers annual economic benefits exceeding $1 billion—far outweighing the expense of operations like the COPEG fly factory in Panama.—
Jesus Mesa,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 June 2025
Noun
-
It's been very difficult to see just how much of this hatred has been normalized.—
Leila Fadel,
NPR,
1 July 2025
-
Period drama enthusiasts will be interested to know that Wright set the movie in the late-18th century instead of the early-19th century in part because of his hatred of empire waist dresses.—
Lia Beck,
EW.com,
25 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Despite.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/despite. Accessed 7 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share