prep.
In spite of; notwithstanding: won the game despite overwhelming odds.
n.
- Contemptuous defiance or disregard.
- Spite; malice: "He died soon after . . . of pure despite and vexation" (Sir Walter Scott).
[Short for in despite of, from Middle English despit, spite, from Old French, from Latin dēspectus, from past participle of dēspicere, to despise. See despise.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
