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
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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
Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 13 Mar. 2023
Westbrook recently scored a triple-double despite shooting 7-for-27 from the floor.
—Bruce Jenkins, SFChronicle.com, 7 Dec. 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
Despite the fact that the age of female winners has been steadily increasing in the last despite, the average female Oscar winner is 39 years old, according to a Sky News 2023 report—almost a decade younger than the average male winner at 47.
—Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 13 Mar. 2023
Westbrook recently scored a triple-double despite shooting 7-for-27 from the floor.
—Bruce Jenkins, SFChronicle.com, 7 Dec. 2019
See All Example Sentences for despite
Recent Examples of Synonyms for despite
Preposition
-
Memorably dowdy fashion notwithstanding, the juicy role — part Nurse Ratched, part Jack Torrance — launched Bates into the Hollywood ether following years of false starts.—
Darren Franich,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 Mar. 2026
-
Ozawa has not re-written Giuseppe Giacosa and Luigi Illica’s libretto, nor added to Puccini’s score, conducted here by Domingo Hindoyan, notwithstanding such intense narrative intervention.—
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Mclusky were always rooted more in bile than hormones, contempt and wit over quick-burn idealism.—
Alex Robert Ross,
Pitchfork,
25 Mar. 2026
-
This need to demonstrate moral superiority vis-à-vis their neighbors necessarily makes much of leftism performative in nature, dedicated to signaling both contempt for deplorables and membership in an enlightened tribe.—
Bradley Gitz,
Arkansas Online,
23 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Jurors later recommended an additional $3 million in punitive damages after deciding the companies acted with malice, oppression or fraud in harming children with their platforms.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Jurors later recommended an additional $3 million in punitive damages after deciding the companies acted with malice, oppression or fraud in harming children with their platforms.—
Kaitlyn Huamani,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Despite that disadvantage — Villanova has hit 7-of-14 — the underdog Aggies are still in this game.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
20 Mar. 2026
-
Eftimiades also believes that the FBI’s decades-old structure of methodically amassing information can work to its disadvantage.—
Adam Ciralsky,
Vanity Fair,
19 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
For Marco Rubio, disdain of the Cuban government was practically a birthright.—
Francesca Chambers,
USA Today,
24 Mar. 2026
-
The myth of the welfare queen emerged around this time, and it was used to propel a public disdain for those who were dependent on public assistance.—
John Blake,
CNN Money,
22 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
And, just like the Cayenne, the Panamera did so in spite of a rather ungainly exterior.—
Will Sabel Courtney,
Robb Report,
19 Mar. 2026
-
Now, that revenue stream is diminishing, replaced by empty buildings and ideological spite.—
Lance Christensen,
Oc Register,
18 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Since diesel is the lifeblood of the supply chain, a sudden rise in fuel costs will all but certainly result in higher prices charged by wholesalers in response to elevated transport expenses, some analysts said.—
Max Zahn,
ABC News,
19 Mar. 2026
-
Mettler-Toledo, which manufactures lab instruments and weighing technology, provides school expenses as part of its expatriate and international benefits package for some senior execs.—
Jim Edwards,
Fortune,
19 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Iran hasn't been hiding its hatred of America.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Also shattered was the community’s shaky sense of security, already strained by wars in the Middle East and what many say is soaring hatred of Jews.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
24 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Despite.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/despite. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.
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