different between whilst vs despite

English

Alternative forms

• whilest (obsolete)
• whylst (obsolete)
• whylest (obsolete)

Etymology

From whiles +? -t. Surface analysis while +? -st (“excrescence”). Cognate with West Frisian wylst (“whilst”). More at whiles.

Pronunciation

• (General American, Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /wa?lst/, /hwa?lst/
• (UK) IPA^(key): /w??lst/

Conjunction

whilst

1. (Britain, rare or literary in North America) While, at the same time.

   Synonyms: while; see also Thesaurus:while

Usage notes

In American English, whilst is considered to be pretentious or archaic. Penguin Working Words recommends while only, and notes that whilst is old-fashioned. Cambridge Guide to English Usage and M-W's Webster's Guide to English Usage comment on its regional character, and note that it is rare in American usage. It is thus safer to use only while in international English. The American Heritage Guide writes that, "while using whilst runs the risk of sounding pretentious, it can sometimes add a literary or ironically formal note to a piece of writing".

Translations

Further reading

• while on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• whilst in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• Douglas Harper (2001–2021) , “whilst”, in Online Etymology Dictionary
• “whilst”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–present.

English

Alternative forms

• despight (obsolete)

Etymology

From Old French despit, from Latin d?spectum (“looking down on”), from d?spici? (“to look down, despise”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /d??spa?t/
• Rhymes: -a?t

Preposition

despite

1. In spite of, notwithstanding, regardless of.

Synonyms

• in spite of, maugre; see also Thesaurus:despite

Translations

Noun

despite (countable and uncountable, plural despites)

1. (obsolete) Disdain, contemptuous feelings, hatred.
   • c. 1515–1516, published 1568, John Skelton, Again?t venemous tongues enpoy?oned with ?claunder and fal?e detractions &c.:

     A fals double tunge is more fiers and fell
     Then Cerberus the cur couching in the kenel of hel;
     Wherof hereafter, I thinke for to write,
     Of fals double tunges in the di?pite.
2. (archaic) Action or behaviour displaying such feelings; an outrage, insult.
3. Evil feeling; malice, spite.
   • 1874, translated by Richard Crawley, Thucydides The Peloponnesian War:

     And for these Corcyraeans—neither receive them into alliance in our despite, nor be their abettors in crime.

Derived terms

• despiteful

Verb

despite (third-person singular simple present despites, present participle despiting, simple past and past participle despited)

1. (obsolete) To vex; to annoy; to offend contemptuously.

   • to despite his opposites

References

• despite at OneLook Dictionary Search
• despite in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

Anagrams

• seed pit, septide