in spite of appearance
- idiom
:
a pesar de las apariencias
- In spite of her cheerful demeanor, she often felt lonely at parties.
Examples
-
Journalist Howard EW wrote that in spite of appearances, they were under no illusions about their work.
-
He succeeded in the competition in spite of the significant challenges he faced.
-
In spite of the heavy rain, the outdoor event continued as planned.
Synonyms
660
3.1
Despite something that might stop you
211
1.8
Despite a problem or difficulty, something happens anyway
117
3.5
In your real feelings or beliefs that you do not show
98
3.3
To say something is true despite what was just said
77
3.5
Really being a certain kind of person despite how someone seems
6
5.5
Despite a fact or situation already mentioned
3
6.6
Basically what is most true about someone or something
Surface Forms
Morphology
in + spite + of + appearance
The construction includes the fixed idiom 'in spite of' which means 'despite' and is not transparently derivable from the literal sense of 'spite' (malice); however, the noun 'appearance' directly signals 'how things look'. Because the head noun gives a clear clue but the prepositional idiom must be known rather than composed from parts, a B1 learner who knows the constituents would only partially infer the intended meaning.
Etymology
The phrase in spite of appearance paints a simple picture: something may look fine on the outside, its appearance, but be different inside. So it means 'despite how things may look'.