despite Meaning & Definition
What Does Despite Mean?
As a preposition, despite means In spite of, notwithstanding. As a noun, it means Disdain, contemptuous feelings, hatred. As a verb, it means To vex; to annoy; to offend contemptuously.
Despite in Brief
| Part of speech | preposition, noun, verb |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /dɪˈspaɪt/ |
| Synonyms | in spite of and maugre |
| Plural | despites |
| Verb forms | despites, despiting, despited |
Despite Definition (Preposition)
- In spite of, notwithstanding.
Despite being a near-mirror image my of right, my left hand is terrible at these stuff.
Despite as a Noun
- Disdain, contemptuous feelings, hatred.
- Action or behaviour displaying such feelings; an outrage, insult.
- Evil feeling; malice, spite, annoyance.
Despite as a Verb
- To vex; to annoy; to offend contemptuously.
Noun
- Evil feeling; malice, spite.
Preposition
- In spite of, notwithstanding, regardless of.
Synonyms of Despite
Despite synonyms and antonyms →Despite in a Sentence
Despite being a near-mirror image my of right, my left hand is terrible at these stuff.
Word Forms & Grammar
despite
despite (countable and uncountable, plural despites)
despite (third-person singular simple present despites, present participle despiting, simple past and past participle despited)
Words That Rhyme With Despite
Origin of Despite
Origin 1: 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”).
Origin 2: The preposition is derived from Middle English dispit, itself derived from the phrase in dispit of (in despite of).[1][2]
Origin 3: 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).
Origin 4: From Middle English despite, dispite, dyspite, dyspyte, from Old French despitier.[3][4]
Questions People Ask About Despite
Is despite a preposition or a noun?
Despite is mainly used as a preposition, but it can also be used as a noun and a verb.
What is another word for despite?
Close synonyms of despite are in spite of and maugre. See the full list of despite synonyms and antonyms.
What is the plural of despite?
The plural of despite is despites.
What is the past tense of despite?
The past tense of despite is despited. The present participle is despiting.