Translation
to defy, to brave; to act in spite of
Word origin
From English spite and Old French despit, both from Latin despectus, 'a looking down on', from de- plus specere ('to look'). English spite is despite with the first syllable worn off, and Esperanto took the short form.
- Origin
- Latin, via Old French and English
- Root
- despectus
- English cognates
- spite, despite, despise, spectacle
Examples
.
She defied the school rules and went out.
.
The small town defied the army for three months.
.
They braved the storm and carried on to the sea.
takes its obstacle as a direct object: you , not it. The adverb spite and the phrase spite mean 'in spite of', and both are worth learning alongside the verb. Compare , which throws a challenge at a person rather than braving a thing.
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spiti: worksheet, infographic and listicle
Free printable study downloads for the Esperanto word "spiti" (to defy, to brave; to act in spite of): a worksheet with the answer key built in, an infographic, and a sentence listicle. Open any one to view, print or save.
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Start your free weekThis word is part of lesson 35.