despite
Part of speech: prep
noun
Morphological type: simple
Etymology: 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).
Inflected forms:
form: despight
pos: prep
tags: alternative
obsolete
form: despites
pos: noun
tags: plural
form: despight
pos: noun
tags: alternative
obsolete
Senses:
gloss: In spite of, not with standing.
pos: prep
examples: 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.
Yet doe thy worſt old Time diſpight thy wrong,
My loue ſhall in my verſe euer liue young.
The highway to the East Coast which ran through the borough of Ebbfield had always been a main road and even now, despite the vast garages, the pylons and the gaily painted factory glasshouses which had sprung up beside it, there still remained an occasional trace of past cultures.
Despite all my rage I am still just a rat in a cage.
Despite personal schisms and differences in spiritual experience, there is a very coherent theology of Snape shared between the wives. To examine this manifestation of religious fandom, I will first discuss the canon scepticism and anti-Rowling sentiment that helps to contextualise the wider belief in Snape as a character who extends beyond book and film.
gloss: Disdain, contemptuous feelings, hatred.
pos: noun
tags: countable
obsolete
uncountable
examples: 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,
Thou waſt euer an obſtinate heretique in the deſpight of Beautie.
all thy despite against the land of Israel
gloss: Action or behaviour displaying such feelings; an outrage, insult.
pos: noun
tags: archaic
countable
uncountable
examples: 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
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 despite vnto the spirit of grace?
a deſpite done againſt the Moſt High
gloss: Evil feeling; malice, spite, annoyance.
pos: noun
tags: countable
uncountable
examples: 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.
And for these Corcyraeans—neither receive them into alliance in our despite, nor be their abettors in crime.
Antonyms: because of
Derived words: despiteful
Translations: