despite

English Online Dictionary. What means despite‎? What does despite mean?

English

Alternative forms

• despight (obsolete)

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /dɪˈspaɪt/
• Rhymes: -aɪt

Etymology 1

The noun is from Middle English despit, dispit, from Old French despit, from Latin dēspectum (“looking down on”), from dēspiciō (“to look down, despise”).

The preposition is from Middle English dispit, from the phrase in dispit of (in despite of).

Preposition

despite

1. In spite of, notwithstanding.

Usage notes

The terms despite of, despite that, and in despite of are archaic, nonstandard, or almost universally considered incorrect.

Synonyms

• in spite of, maugre; see also Thesaurus:despite

Derived terms

Translations

Noun

despite (countable and uncountable, plural despites)

1. (obsolete) Disdain, contemptuous feelings, hatred.
   • c. 1515–1516, published 1568, John Skelton, Againſt venemous tongues enpoyſoned with ſclaunder and falſe detractions &c.:

     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,
     Of fals double tunges in the diſpite.
2. (archaic) Action or behaviour displaying such feelings; an outrage, insult.
3. Evil feeling; malice, spite, annoyance.

Derived terms

• despiteful

Etymology 2

From Middle English despite, dispite, dyspite, dyspyte, from Old French despitier.

Verb

despite (third-person singular simple present despites, present participle despiting, simple past and past participle despited)

1. (obsolete) To vex; to annoy; to offend contemptuously.

References

• “despite”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.
• “despite”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.

Anagrams

• seed pit, septide

Spanish

Verb

despite

1. inflection of despitar:
   1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
   2. third-person singular imperative