despite

Meanings

Plural: despites

Noun

lack of respect accompanied by a feeling of intense dislike
- "the despite in which outsiders were held is legendary"
contemptuous disregard
- "she wanted neither favor nor despite"
Disdain, contemptuous feelings, hatred.
Action or behaviour displaying such feelings; an outrage, insult.
Evil feeling; malice, spite, annoyance.

Prep

In spite of, notwithstanding.

Verb

To vex; to annoy; to offend contemptuously.

Origin / Etymology

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).
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).

Synonyms

contempt, despite, disdain, for all, in spite of, irrespective of, maugre, notwithstanding, regardless of, scorn, without considering, without regard for

Antonyms

because of

Scrabble Score: 10

despite is a valid Scrabble (US) TWL word
despite is a valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
despite is a valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 11

despite is a valid Words With Friends word