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
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
In Division II, Turpin somehow was dropped from 4th to 5th despite holding off Anderson 29-28 to remain undefeated.
—
Scott Springer,
Cincinnati.com,
21 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
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
In Division II, Turpin somehow was dropped from 4th to 5th despite holding off Anderson 29-28 to remain undefeated.
—
Scott Springer,
Cincinnati.com,
21 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
-
Of course, this is no tragedy — there comes a time to put away childish things, 40-something video-gamers notwithstanding — but the movie comes close to regarding it as such.
-
But Curls Ultra aren’t solely interested in resurrecting the mysticism of the past or indulging in the parties of the present, the occasional fluttering flute solo or boisterous sax line notwithstanding.
Noun
-
Criminal charges from contempt of Congress referrals are rare.
-
One of the joys of Air, down to the breathy purity of its title, is its contempt for design—an easy target, but one for which Kracht has sharpened his blade.
Noun
-
But on Wednesday, the jury in the latest trial found that MGA had not acted with malice, meaning no punitive damages would be awarded.
-
The company’s own investigation points less to malice than to a process that never engaged.
Noun
-
Many professionals and students have moved abroad in search of opportunities, putting Venezuela at a dire disadvantage with its disaster response.
-
Every quarter a brand delays is a quarter of compounding disadvantage.
Noun
-
While the singer-songwriter has been vocal about her disdain for generative AI models, her latest argument against it comes after learning hundreds of her own songs have been used for training purposes.
-
But many Cepeda voters are still grappling to understand the disdain towards Colombia’s left.
Noun
-
In spite of their original values of humanitarianism and neutrality, these organizations have been morally debased from within, using the language of human rights and international justice yet deploying it on behalf of autocracies and against the liberal democracies that created them.
-
The ball got away from Witt at short in spite of his best efforts to keep it on the infield.
Noun
-
Everyone on the trip can collaborate to build the perfect itinerary, easily share flight details, create checklists, and keep track of expenses and who owes what.
-
MetLife is poised to lead the industry in margin expansion (20–25 bps annually) by keeping expense growth firmly below revenue gains.
Noun
-
Disciples of this extremist hatred are running for office and winning in select primaries.
-
But to the man himself, comedy is—like life—first and foremost about hatred of death.
Cite this Entry
“Despite.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/despite. Accessed 4 Jul. 2026.
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