despite

1 of 3

preposition

de·​spite di-ˈspīt How to pronounce despite (audio)
: in spite of
played despite an injury

despite

2 of 3

noun

1
: the feeling or attitude of despising someone or something : contempt
2
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

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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
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
Verb
Fletcher acknowledged the brand’s impressive growth, despited being stocked in only a few hundred stores, and envisions a strong future ahead. Douglas Yu, Forbes, 7 Oct. 2024 Bucks 127, Kings 106: Khris Middleton had 27 points and 11 rebounds, Eric Bledsoe scored 24 and Milwaukee beat host Sacramento despite an off night for Giannis Antetokounmpo. SFChronicle.com, 10 Jan. 2020 See all Example Sentences for despite 

Word History

Etymology

Noun, Preposition, and Verb

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

First Known Use

Preposition

1602, 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

Time Traveler
The first known use of despite was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near despite

Cite this Entry

“Despite.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/despite. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

despite

1 of 2 noun
de·​spite di-ˈspīt How to pronounce despite (audio)
1
2
3
a
: an act showing scorn and disrespect
b

despite

2 of 2 preposition
: in spite of
ran despite an injury

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