despite

1 of 3

preposition

de·​spite di-ˈspīt 

: in spite of

played despite an injury

despite

2 of 3

noun

1

: the feeling or attitude of despising someone or something : contempt

2

: malice, spite

3

a

: an act showing contempt or defiance

b

: detriment, disadvantage

I know of no government which stands to its obligations, even in its own despite, more solidly …

—Sir Winston Churchill

despite

3 of 3

verb

despited; despiting

transitive verb

1

archaic : to treat with contempt

2

obsolete : to provoke to anger : vex

Phrases

in despite of

: in spite of

Synonyms

Preposition

• notwithstanding
• regardless of
• with

Noun

• contempt
• contemptuousness
• despisement
• despitefulness
• disdain
• misprision
• scorn

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

Recent Examples on the Web

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

Word History

Etymology

Noun, Preposition, and Verb

Middle English, from Anglo-French despit, from Latin despectus, from despicere — see despise

First Known Use

Preposition

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing despite

• despite appearances
• despite oneself
• in despite of

Kids Definition

despite

1 of 2 noun

de·​spite di-ˈspīt 

1

: contempt sense 1

2

: spite, malice

3

a

: an act showing scorn and disrespect

b

: detriment

despite

2 of 2 preposition

: in spite of

ran despite an injury