Definition
despite: in spite of, notwithstanding
Despite is followed directly by a noun (or a verb in the gerund):
Despite his size, he was a very good athlete. The fact that he was very big did not influence the fact that he was a very good athlete.
(or In spite of his size...)
(or In spite of his size...)
Despite eating burgers every day, she never gains weight. Although she eats hamburgers every day, she still remains thin.
Pronunciation examples
UK: I enjoyed our trip to the Seychelles, despite the weather.
US: Despite all my rage I am still just a rat in a cage.
- "They are trying to break me, Bruno, and I am afraid that despite my rugged, tough exterior, I may not last."
- "Despite this isolated incident, I believe that our two cultures are closer than ever, and this is reflected by this collaboration between the perfumers of our two great nations."
- "Despite gloomy financial forecasts for its competitors, the perfume giant is set to have one of their most successful Christmases ever with sales up 15% since this time last year."
- "Delavigne, San Francisco's renowned playboy, insisted on piloting the balloon himself, despite having only limited experience flying dirigibles."
- "Despite their reputation for spontaneous combustion in the 1930s, airships are back."
- "Despite his humble beginnings in the deepest, darkest Amazon, General Oléré stood out like a shining star."
- "However, despite my tastes and means, I cannot be expected to keep buying fine art out of my own pocket, and I will bring up the matter of finances at the next shareholders meeting."
- "It's true that Stickypedia is maintained by anonymous volunteers rather than renowned experts, but despite this, it works remarkably well!"
- "First of all, you'll be happy to know that despite Bruno's absence, our shareholders still have confidence in us."
- "You'll be pleased to know that despite our little incident, I managed to talk those suckers at "Smells R Us" into renewing their orders for the upcoming year."
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