despite

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“
He would have died for England, happy in the sacrifice, but to lose all in her despite was a bitter thing.

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Definitions (16)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (3)

  1. preposition In spite of; notwithstanding: won the game despite overwhelming odds.
  2. noun Contemptuous defiance or disregard.
  3. noun Spite; malice: "He died soon after . . . of pure despite and vexation” (Sir Walter Scott).

Toggle Century definitions Century Dictionary (8)

Toggle GNU Webster definitions GNU Webster's 1913 (3)

Toggle WordNet definitions WordNet (2)

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Examples (50)

  • Starbucks and Whole Foods in particular -- despite (or because of) a long and sordid history of union-busting -- have tried to present themselves as "socially responsible," and are worried about their corporate images. —  Colorado Independent Media Center
  • Next semester will see a series of program changes, including the discontinuation of a master's degree in Arabic, despite a growing program in Arabic studies at the University of Minnesota. —  The Minnesota Daily - mndaily.com
  • As the diplomatic wrangling continued in New York, the impoverished North released film footage of what it terms an "historic" achievement -- despite a price tag of 500 million dollars put by one Seoul analyst on the satellite programme. —  Top Stories - Google News
  • As drama -- despite isolated, notable staging moments -- it's more strung out and anecdotal than momentous or gripping. —  WSJ.com: What's News US
  • That it is a force generally exercised for good--despite the World War--I myself, as an engineer, can truly testify. —  Opportunities in Engineering
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Roget's II Roget's II: The New Thesaurus

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Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition by the Editors of the American Heritage® Dictionary. Copyright © 2003, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Etymologies (4)

Toggle American Heritage etymologies American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. Short for in despite of, from Middle English despit, spite, from Old French, from Latin dēspectus, from past participle of dēspicere, to despise; see despise.

Toggle Century etymologies Century Dictionary (3)

  1. Formerly often spelled, erroneously, despight; from Middle English despite, despit, despyte, dispite, dispit, from Old French despit, despeit, French dépit = Provencal despieyt, despieg = Spanish despecho = Portuguese despeito = Italian dispetto, from Latin despectus, a looking down upon, contempt, from despicere, past participle despectus, look down upon, despise: see despise. Hence by apheresis spite, q. v.
  2. from Old French despiter (later Middle Latin despitare), French dépiter = Provencal despechar, despeytar = Spanish despechar = Portuguese despeitar = Italian dispettare, from Latin de-spectare, look down upon, despise, freq. of de-spicere, past participle despectus, look down upon, despise: see despise. Hence by apheresis spite, transitive verb
  3. Short for in despite of: see despite, n.
 

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/dɛsˈpaɪt/
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