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Spite vs Spate - What's the difference?

spite | spate |

As nouns the difference between spite and spate

is that spite is ill will or hatred toward another, accompanied with the disposition to irritate, annoy, or thwart; a desire to vex or injure; petty malice; grudge; rancor while spate is .

As a verb spite

is to treat maliciously; to try to injure or thwart.

As a preposition spite

is notwithstanding; despite.

spite

English

Etymology 1

From a shortening of (etyl) despit, from (etyl) despit (whence despite). Compare also Dutch spijt.

Noun

(en-noun)
  • Ill will or hatred toward another, accompanied with the disposition to irritate, annoy, or thwart; a desire to vex or injure; petty malice; grudge; rancor.
    • He was so filled with spite for his ex-wife, he could not hold down a job.
    They did it just for spite .
  • * Shakespeare
    • This is the deadly spite that angers.
  • (obsolete) Vexation; chagrin; mortification.
    • "The time is out of joint: O cursed spite." Shakespeare, Hamlet

    Verb

    (spit)
  • To treat maliciously; to try to injure or thwart.
    • She soon married again, to spite her ex-husband.
  • (obsolete) To be angry at; to hate.
    • The Danes, then pagans, spited places of religion. — Fuller.
  • To fill with spite; to offend; to vex.
    • Darius, spited at the Magi, endeavoured to abolish not only their learning, but their language. — Sir. W. Temple.
    Related terms
    * spiteful * in spite of * despite

    See also

    * malignant * malicious

    Etymology 2

    Preposition

    (English prepositions)
  • Notwithstanding; despite.

    • Statistics

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    Anagrams

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    spate

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A river flood; an overflow or inundation.
  • * 17thC , '', from a Latin original, published in ''Collected works of Sir Thomas Browne (1836),
    • Only let your language match your subject, then it will be shapely and free; but take care all the time not to overwhelm your work in a spate of words to attain the fluency of Isaeus; and that it slip not out too freely, avoid the danger of Strada.
  • * c.1856-1885 , ,
    • The last tall son of Lot and Bellicent,
    And tallest, Gareth, in a showerful spring
    Stared at the spate . A slender-shafted Pine
    Lost footing, fell, and so was whirled away.
  • * 1900 , ,
    • At Odendaal, where he had hoped to cross, the river was in spate , the British flag waved from a post upon the further side, and a strong force of expectant Guardsmen eagerly awaited him there.
  • * 1902 , ,
    • The glacial drip was already in evidence, and every creek in roaring spate .
  • * 1910 , ,
    • At the edge of the burn, where the path turns downward, there is a patch of shingle washed up by some spate .
  • A sudden rush or increase.
  • * 1887 , '', in ''The Merry Men and Other Tales and Fables ,
    • He couldnae weel tell how - maybe it was the cauld to his feet - but it cam' in upon him wi' a spate that there was some connection between thir twa, an' that either or baith o' them were bogles.
  • * 1964 , United States Supreme Court, ,
    • The spate of similar cases filed and decided by lower courts since our decision in Baker [v. Carr] amply shows that the problem of state legislative malapportionment is one that is perceived to exist in a large number of the States.
  • * 2009 April, ,
    • A recent spate of controversies, including Chinese mineral giant Chinalco’s Rio Tinto bid and revelations of hushed meetings between the Chinese propaganda chief and Australian media bosses, have once again brought the issue of our deepening relationship with China to the fore.
  • * '>citation

    • Anagrams

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