Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English - spite

~1 n 1 in spite of without being prevented by something; despite  (We went out in spite of the rain. | in spite of the fact that)  (Kelly loved her husband in spite of the fact that he drank too much.) 2 a feeling of wanting to hurt or upset people, for example because you are jealous or think you have been unfairly treated  (out of spite (=because of spite))  (She broke it just out of spite. | pure/sheer spite (=spite and nothing else)) 3 in spite of yourself if you do something in spite of yourself, you do it although you did not expect or intend to do it ~2 v T only in infinitive) to deliberately annoy or upset someone  (The neighbours throw things over the garden wall just to spite us.)  (- see also cut off your nose to spite your face cut1)