despite
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despite¹
- /dɪˈspaɪt/ UK
Rhymes with -aɪt
Where it comes from
The noun is derived from Middle English despit, dispit, from Old French despit, from Latin dēspectum (“looking down on”), from dēspiciō (“to look down, despise”).
The preposition is derived from Middle English dispit, itself derived from the phrase in dispit of (in despite of).
Compare typologically Russian несмотря́ на (nesmotrjá na) (< смотре́ть (smotrétʹ)); невзира́я на (nevzirája na) (< взира́ть (vzirátʹ)), презре́в (prezrév) (< презре́ть (prezrétʹ) <~ зреть (zretʹ)) (compare despite—despise relation).
preposition despight
-
In spite of, notwithstanding.
Despite being a near-mirror image my of right, my left hand is terrible at these stuff.
Similar: in spite of, maugre, despite, with, for all, irrespective of, notwithstanding, regardless of, without considering, without regard for
Opposite: because of
noun despites · despight
- Disdain, contemptuous feelings, hatred. A fals double tunge is more fiers and fell Then Cerberus the cur couching in the kenel of hel; Wherof hereafter, I thinke for to write,
- Action or behaviour displaying such feelings; an outrage, insult. he aſked kynge Arthur yf he wold gyue hym leue to ryde after Balen and to reuenge the deſpyte that he had done Doo your beſt ſaid Arthur I am right wroth ſaid Balen I wold he were quyte of the deſpyte that he hath done to me and to my Courte
- Evil feeling; malice, spite, annoyance. How often am I obliged to speak mal à propos, because my features are not sufficiently charming in a state of repose!—how often is my ingenuity racked to find a word, when a look would have been far better! I am compelled to be amusing, in my own despite.
despite²
- /dɪˈspaɪt/ UK
Rhymes with -aɪt
Where it comes from
From Middle English despite, dispite, dyspite, dyspyte, from Old French despitier.
verb despites · despiting · despited · despight
- To vex; to annoy; to offend contemptuously. to despite his opposites
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: spite, insult, regardless, irrespective, unlike, but, over, outside, beyond, while, though, notwithstanding, through, whilst, across, whereas
preposition
Opposite: because of
Translations
Every language
prep in spite of
| Español | pese a, maguer |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 에도 불구하고 -e-do bulguhago |
| 日本語 | ...にも関わらず ...nimo kakawarazu |
| 中文 | 儘管 /尽管, 不顧 /不顾 bùgù, 不管 bùguǎn, 任憑 /任凭 rènpíng, 即使 jíshǐ |
| हिन्दी | के बावजूद ke bāvjūd |
| Kiswahili | licha ya |
| Português | a despeito de, apesar de, não obstante |
| Français | en dépit de, malgré |
| Deutsch | trotz |
| Italiano | nonostante, sebbene, malgrado |
| Ελληνικά | παρά pará |
| Română | în ciuda, cu toate că |
| Русский | несмотря́ на nesmotrjá na, вопреки́ voprekí, напереко́р naperekór, невзира́я на nevzirája na |
| Tiếng Việt | mặc dù, không kể, bất chấp |
| العربية | رَغْمَ raḡma, بِالرَّغْمِ مِن bi-r-raḡmi min, مَعَ maʕa |
| עברית | לַמְרוֹת lamrót |
Talk about this word "despite." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/despite. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. despite. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/despite "despite." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/despite.Cite this
@misc{despite_2026,
title = {despite},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/despite},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
