First Known Use: 13th century
Dictionary
1despite
noun de·spite \di-ˈspīt\
Definition of DESPITE
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>
— in despite of
: in spite of
See despite defined for kids
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Origin of DESPITE
Middle English, from Anglo-French despit, from Latin despectus, from despicere (see despise)
Related to DESPITE
- Synonyms
- contemptuousness, despisement, contempt, despitefulness, disdain, misprision, scorn
- Antonyms
- admiration, esteem, estimation, favor, regard, respect
Rhymes with DESPITE
affright, air right, airtight, albite, Albright, alight, all right, all-night, a mite, aright, backbite, backlight, bauxite, bedight, birthright, black light, bleed white, bobwhite, bombsight, box kite, calcite, campsite, catfight, cockfight, contrite, cordite, Cushite, daylight, deadlight, delight, dendrite, dogfight, downlight, downright, droplight, dust mite, earthlight, excite, eyebright, eyesight, fanlight, felsite, ferrite, finite, fire blight, firefight, firelight, first night, fistfight, flashlight, fleabite, floodlight, foresight, forthright, fortnight, freewrite, frostbite, Gadite, gall mite, gaslight, gastight, ghostwrite, goethite, graphite, green light, gummite, gunfight, half-light, halite, Hamite, handwrite, headlight, highlight, hindsight, Hittite, homesite, hoplite, Hussite, ignite, illite, infight, in-flight, incite, indict, indite, insight, in sight, invite, jacklight, jadeite, key light, lamplight, late blight, leucite, Levite, lighttight, lignite, limelight, lintwhite, lowlight, Lucite, Luddite, lyddite, marmite, Melchite, Memphite, midnight, millwright, moonlight, New Right, night-light, nitrite, off-site, off-white, on sight, on-site, outright, outsight, partite, peep sight, penlight, perlite, playwright, polite, preflight, prizefight, pyrite, quartzite, ratite, recite, red light, red-light, requite, respite, rewrite, rushlight, rust mite, safelight, samite, searchlight, Semite, Servite, Shemite, Shiite, shipwright, sidelight, sit tight, skintight, skylight, skywrite, slant height, smectite, snakebite, snow-white, sound bite, spaceflight, spotlight, stage fright, starlight, sternite, sticktight, stoplight, streetlight, stylite, sulfite, sunlight, Sunnite, taillight, termite, thermite, tonight, torchlight, trothplight, Twelfth Night, twilight, twi-night, typewrite, unite, unsight, upright, uptight, wainwright, watch night, wax light, Web site, weeknight, wheelwright, white flight, white knight, x-height, zinc white
2despite
verb de·spite \di-ˈspīt\
de·spit·edde·spit·ing
Definition of DESPITE
transitive verb
1
archaic : to treat with contempt
Origin of DESPITE
(see 1despite)
First Known Use: 14th century
3despite
preposition de·spite \di-ˈspīt\
: without being prevented by (something)
Full Definition of DESPITE
: in spite of <played despite an injury>
See despite defined for English-language learners
Examples of DESPITE
- 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
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Origin of DESPITE
(see 1despite)
First Known Use: 15th century
Related to DESPITE
- Synonyms
- notwithstanding, regardless of, with, in defiance of, in despite of, in spite of
DESPITE Defined for Kids
despite
preposition de·spite \di-ˈspīt\
Definition of DESPITE for Kids
: in spite of <The quarterback played despite an injury.>
Learn More About DESPITE
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