spite

spite
\ \ [13] Spite was adapted from Old French despitscorn, ill will’, which was also borrowed intact as despite [13]. This came from Latin dēspectus, the past participle of dēspicerelook down on’ (source of English despise [13]), which was a compound verb formed from the prefix - ‘down’ and specerelook’ (source of English spectacle, spy, etc). The use of in spite of and despite for ‘notwithstanding’ goes back via an intermediate ‘in defiance of’ to an original ‘in contempt of’.
\ \ Cf.DESPISE, SPECIES, SPECTATOR, SPY

Word origins - 2ed. . 2005.

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  • Spite — Spite, n. [Abbreviated fr. despite.] 1. Ill will or hatred toward another, accompanied with the disposition to irritate, annoy, or thwart; petty malice; grudge; rancor; despite. Pope. [1913 Webster] This is the deadly spite that angers. Shak.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Spite of — Spite Spite, n. [Abbreviated fr. despite.] 1. Ill will or hatred toward another, accompanied with the disposition to irritate, annoy, or thwart; petty malice; grudge; rancor; despite. Pope. [1913 Webster] This is the deadly spite that angers.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • spite — ► NOUN ▪ a desire to hurt, annoy, or offend. ► VERB ▪ deliberately hurt, annoy, or offend. ● in spite of Cf. ↑in spite of ● in spite of oneself Cf. ↑in spite of oneself …   English terms dictionary

  • Spite — Spite, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Spited}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Spiting}.] 1. To be angry at; to hate. [Obs.] [1913 Webster] The Danes, then . . . pagans, spited places of religion. Fuller. [1913 Webster] 2. To treat maliciously; to try to injure or thwart …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • spite — [spīt] n. [ME, aphetic < despite: see DESPITE] 1. a) a mean or evil feeling toward another, characterized by the inclination to hurt, humiliate, annoy, frustrate, etc.; ill will; malice b) an instance of this; a grudge 2. Obs. something… …   English World dictionary

  • spite — (n.) c.1300, shortened form of despit malice (see DESPITE (Cf. despite)). Corresponding to M.Du. spijt, M.L.G. spyt, M.Swed. spit. Commonly spelled spight c.1575 1700. The verb is attested from c.1400. Phrase in spite of is recorded from c.1400 …   Etymology dictionary

  • spite — [n] hateful feeling animosity, antipathy, bad blood*, contempt, despite, enmity, gall, grudge, harsh feeling, hate, hatred, ill will, malevolence, malice, maliciousness, malignity, peeve, pique, rancor, resentment, revenge, spitefulness, spleen,… …   New thesaurus

  • spite — I noun acrimoniousness, acrimony, animosity, animus, antagonism, bitterness, cattiness, contempt, defiance, despite, enmity, gall, grudge, harsh feeling, hate, hatred, hostility, ill feeling, ill nature, ill will, inimicality, intolerance, livor …   Law dictionary

  • Spite — Le nom est originaire de Moselle. On trouve également en Lorraine la variante Spit. Sens incertain. Peut être une autre forme de Spitz (voir ce nom) …   Noms de famille

  • spite — n despite, malignity, malignancy, spleen, grudge, *malice, ill will, malevolence Analogous words: rancor, animus, antipathy (see ENMITY): vindictiveness, revengefulness or revenge, vengefulness or ven geance (see corresponding adjectives at… …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • spite — spite1 W3 [spaıt] n [U] [Date: 1200 1300; Origin: despite (noun) (13 20 centuries); DESPITE] 1.) in spite of sth without being affected or prevented by something = ↑despite ▪ We went out in spite of the rain. ▪ Kelly loved her husband in spite of …   Dictionary of contemporary English

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