Despite is a preposition meaning without being affected or stopped by something; in spite of. It introduces a noun phrase or gerund that represents an obstacle or difficulty which does not prevent the main action from happening.
What Does Despite Mean?
Despite is one of the most useful concessive prepositions in English. When you use it, you are saying: "This obstacle existed, but it did not prevent the outcome." The sentence Despite the difficulty of the text, she understood the main argument tells the reader that the difficulty was real — yet it did not stop her understanding.
The word is common at B1 level and above and appears frequently in academic writing, journalism, and formal speech. Learning to use it correctly — especially the rule that it must be followed by a noun phrase or gerund rather than a clause — will make your written English considerably more polished.
Compare despite with its closest equivalents: in spite of is interchangeable with despite in nearly every context; although and even though serve the same concessive purpose but are conjunctions, so they introduce a full clause with a subject and verb. Choosing between them is purely a matter of what follows: a noun phrase or gerund requires despite; a clause requires although.
From Old French despit (scorn, contempt), derived from Latin despectus (a looking down upon), formed from de- (down) and specere (to look). The word entered Middle English around the 13th century with the sense of contemptuous defiance — doing something in open scorn of an obstacle. Over the following centuries that sense of hostility faded, leaving the modern neutral meaning of "without being stopped by". The related noun spite (as in in spite of) retains more of the original flavour of deliberate opposition.
Example Sentences
| Sentence | Level & note |
|---|---|
| Despite the rain, we went to the park. | A2 — despite + noun phrase, sentence-initial position |
| She finished her homework despite being very tired. | B1 — despite + gerund phrase |
| Despite the difficulty of the text, she understood the main argument. | B1 — despite + noun phrase with postmodifier |
| The project was completed on schedule despite a significant reduction in funding. | B2 — formal register, sentence-final position |
| Despite considerable advances in medical technology, the disease remains poorly understood and difficult to treat effectively. | C1 — academic register, complex noun phrase |
Collocations
The following noun phrases are among the most common collocates of despite in British English corpora. Learning these chunks will help you use the word naturally.
| Collocation | Example in context |
|---|---|
| despite the fact that | Despite the fact that she had little experience, she got the job. |
| despite the difficulties | The team succeeded despite the difficulties they faced. |
| despite the risk(s) | He continued working despite the risks to his health. |
| despite efforts | Despite efforts to reduce costs, the budget was exceeded. |
| despite opposition | The policy was introduced despite strong opposition from the public. |
| despite everything | Despite everything, they remained close friends. |
| despite being | Despite being exhausted, she ran the final kilometre. |
| despite this | The forecast was poor. Despite this, we decided to travel. |
| despite the lack of | Despite the lack of evidence, he was convicted. |
| despite repeated | Despite repeated warnings, the driver ignored the speed limit. |
Usage Notes
Preposition, not conjunction. Despite must be followed by a noun phrase or gerund (-ing form), never directly by a subject + verb clause. To introduce a clause, add the fact that: despite the fact that it rained.
Position. Despite can open a sentence (followed by a comma) or appear mid-sentence. Both positions are correct: Despite the noise, I slept well. / I slept well despite the noise.
Register. Despite is neutral to formal. It suits academic essays, news reports, and professional writing. In informal conversation, speakers more often say even though or but.
Despite vs in spite of. These two expressions are interchangeable in almost every context. Despite is the more compact choice and is preferred in academic and formal British English writing.
Common Mistakes
Watch Out For
Despite she was tired, she kept working.
Despite being tired, she kept working. (despite + gerund, not clause)
Although she was tired, she kept working. (use a conjunction if you need a clause)
Despite of the cold, we went outside.
Despite the cold, we went outside. (despite does not take "of" — that is a confusion with "in spite of")
We won the match despite that we played badly.
We won the match despite playing badly. (despite + gerund)
We won the match despite the fact that we played badly. (or use "despite the fact that")