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
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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
-
This is not, Vance’s studied ignorance notwithstanding, a normal way of doing business.—
Ruth Marcus,
New Yorker,
20 Oct. 2025
-
And no — because strictly speaking there is no Electric Nebraska per se, notwithstanding Springsteen’s equivocations on the point (as reported in this magazine) and the fact that one disc in this five-disc set is titled Electric Nebraska.—
Will Hermes,
Rolling Stone,
19 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Adding further controversy to the case, in 2024, Pras’ lawyer David Kenner pleaded guilty to criminal contempt of court for leaking confidential grand jury materials to Bloomberg News.—
Preezy Brown,
VIBE.com,
3 Nov. 2025
-
While support for the president and contempt for the left has united conservative media for years, Gaza has been driving a wedge between two of the right’s biggest names.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
27 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Potential adversaries interpret political action in zero-sum terms; see malice and evil design in mere blunders and coincidence; trumpet necessity rather than navigate choice; and, in extreme cases, invent pretext or promise profit to make more palatable a dubious cause.—
Elizabeth D. Samet,
Foreign Affairs,
29 Oct. 2025
-
This was all in jest though and while many would object to making homophobia a joke, there didn’t appear to be actual malice behind it, at least from a superficial look.—
Rafael Perez,
Oc Register,
28 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
But detailed negotiations have dragged out, leaving the country’s key auto making industry at a disadvantage – subject to 25% US tariffs while its rivals in Japan and Europe have already secured much lower rates.—
Will Ripley,
CNN Money,
23 Oct. 2025
-
The Republican Party may be at a disadvantage in next year's midterm elections, according to new polling.—
Kate Plummer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
And yet, for all my disdain, there's a morbid lovableness to Pattinson's portrayal that manages to disarm the weary cynic that's grown with age.—
Edward Segarra,
USA Today,
31 Oct. 2025
-
Addressing the summit, Xi defended multilateralism, a concept Trump has voiced disdain towards.—
Prashant Rao,
semafor.com,
31 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The challenge now is not just falling in love against all odds, but staying together in spite of them.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
4 Nov. 2025
-
In spite of Chicago's defensive shortcomings, the team is 5-3 and is right in the thick of playoff contention in the NFC.—
Matthew Schmidt,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Mark Blinch / Getty Images In the ninth inning of a Game 1 romp, fans at Rogers Centre had some fun at Shohei Ohtani’s expense.—
Tim Britton,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
-
Donations will go toward assisting the Sullivan family with funeral expenses and the recovery process.—
Abigail Adams,
PEOPLE,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
My darling, hatred takes the beauty away.—
Tracee Ellis Ross,
Glamour,
27 Oct. 2025
-
Muschietti touched on this in his movies — the bullying of Mike Hanlon and the hate-crime murder of Adrian Mellon — including the way Pennywise fosters and foments the hatred already lurking in the hearts of Derry’s citizens.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
27 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Despite.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/despite. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
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