despite
In spite of, not with standing.
Noun
- 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, - c. 1515–1516, published 1568, John Skelton, Againſt venemous tongues enpoyſoned...
- Thou waſt euer an obſtinate heretique in the deſpight of Beautie. - 1598–1599 (first performance), William Shakespeare, “Much Adoe about Nothing”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First...
- all thy despite against the land of Israel - 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Ezekiel 25:6:
- 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...
- Of how much sorer punishment suppose ye, shall hee be thought worthy, who hath troden vnder foote þe Sonne of God, and hath counted the blood of the couenant wherwith he was sanctified, an vnholy thing, and hath done...
- a deſpite done againſt the Moſt High - 1667, John Milton, “Book VI”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […],...
- 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...
- And for these Corcyraeans—neither receive them into alliance in our despite, nor be their abettors in crime. - 1874, Thucydides, translated by Richard Crawley, The Peloponnesian War:
Origin
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).
Forms
Derived
Preposition
- In spite of, not with standing.
- Despite being a near-mirror image my of right, my left hand is terrible at these stuff.
- So thou through windowes of thine age ſhalt ſee, Diſpight of wrinkles this thy goulden time. - 1609, William Shakespeare, “Sonnet 3”, in Shake-speares Sonnets. […], London: By G[eorge] Eld for T[homas] T[horpe] and are...
- Yet doe thy worſt old Time diſpight thy wrong, My loue ſhall in my verſe euer liue young. - 1609, William Shakespeare, “Sonnet 19”, in Shake-speares Sonnets. […], London: By G[eorge] Eld for T[homas] T[horpe] and are to...
Forms
Synonyms
in spite of maugre despite for all irrespective of notwithstanding regardless of without considering without regard for
Antonyms
Related
Derived
Verb
- To vex; to annoy; to offend contemptuously.
- to despite his opposites - 1614, Walter Ralegh [i.e., Walter Raleigh], The Historie of the World […], London: […] William Stansby for Walter Burre, […], →OCLC, (please specify |book=1 to 5):
Origin
From Middle English despite, dispite, dyspite, dyspyte, from Old French despitier.