despite always

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "despite always" is not correct and does not convey a clear meaning in written English.
It is typically used when expressing a contrast or contradiction, but "always" does not fit well in this context. Example: "Despite always being late, she managed to finish the project on time."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

23 human-written examples

Despite always having voted Labour, he has dabbled with the idea of supporting smaller parties.

Independent

Despite always ticking the box on the form saying she wanted feedback, she received none.

The Guardian

Despite always saying that parents shouldn't chase their kids, they broke their own rule and moved to California to be near their daughters in 1984.

The New York Times

Despite always protesting that you would never tweet, you've had a change of heart and announced your arrival last week: "It's me CC! WHERE MY SOLDIERS AT.......?!!!

The Guardian - Lifestyle

But the business of the thing was really that most fertile, overlooked field of human drama, the lives of middle-aged women – which, despite always having been where many of our most compelling stories can be found, are routinely ignored.

The Guardian - TV & Radio

But last week, just a year on, and despite always paying on time, I was horrified to be told that my landlord wants to put up my rent to £1,450 – an increase of 20.8%.

The Guardian - Money

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

37 human-written examples

But Seton Hall has beaten regional teams Rider, St. Peter's, La Salle and Pennsylvania despite not always dominating.

The New York Times - Sports

She does have some women's clothes, she says – "a snakeskin dress or two" – but prefers to dress "comme les garçons", despite not always getting a positive reception.

The Guardian

Philippe Montanier took Real Sociedad back to the Champions League despite not always having fans and club behind him, except in the "carrying knives" sense of the word.

The Guardian - Sport

6.18pm Tamarine Tanasugarn dealt admirably with topics as diverse as retirement, Thai TV and kickboxing in her press conference, despite not always sounding entirely confident about her English.

The Guardian - Sport

In Experiment 1, despite drivers always making the correct response maneuver, their manual response time and verbal response accuracy significantly degraded as the number of alerts increased from three to seven.

Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When aiming to express contrast or contradiction alongside habitual actions, consider restructuring your sentence for clarity. Instead of "despite always", opt for clearer alternatives like "even though always" or "despite the fact that" for enhanced readability and grammatical correctness.

Common error

Avoid directly combining "despite" with "always" as it creates a grammatically awkward phrase. "Despite" usually introduces a noun or a gerund phrase, not an adverb directly. To fix this, rephrase to include a noun phrase or a clause that clarifies the contrast, which ensures your writing remains both clear and grammatically sound.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "despite always" functions as an attempt to introduce a contrasting element combined with a habitual action. However, it lacks grammatical correctness, as highlighted by Ludwig AI. A more appropriate construction usually involves a noun phrase or a clause.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

52%

Science

28%

Wiki

8%

Less common in

Formal & Business

4%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "despite always" attempts to convey a sense of contradiction in the face of a consistent action. However, as noted by Ludwig AI, this construction is grammatically incorrect and lacks clarity. While it appears in various sources, including news and media, its usage is generally discouraged in formal writing. For clearer and more grammatically sound alternatives, consider rephrasing using constructions like "despite the fact that" or "even though" followed by a clause. These alternatives enhance readability and ensure your writing remains both clear and grammatically accurate. The frequency of the expression, while common, does not validate its use.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

despite constantly

Replaces "always" with "constantly" to indicate continuous action, but still might not be grammatically sound.

even though consistently

Emphasizes consistency while acknowledging a contrasting situation.

in spite of regularly

Highlights regular occurrence despite an opposing factor.

notwithstanding habitually

Implies something is habitual, regardless of circumstances.

despite a persistent habit of

Focuses on the persistent nature of the habit, adding specificity.

although perpetually

Indicates something happens perpetually despite a contrasting situation.

in defiance of the continuous

Highlights defiance against something continuous.

regardless of the ongoing

Emphasizes lack of regard for something ongoing.

even with a continuous

Acknowledges existence of something continuous, but continues.

in spite of the steady

Implies something happens despite something steady.

FAQs

How can I correctly use "despite" in a sentence?

Use "despite" followed by a noun, pronoun, or a gerund phrase. For example, "Despite the rain, we went for a walk" or "Despite his efforts, he failed".

What are some alternatives to "despite"?

Alternatives include "although", "even though", "in spite of", "notwithstanding", and "regardless of". For example, instead of "Despite the difficulties, we succeeded", you could say "Although the difficulties, we succeeded".

Is it grammatically correct to directly follow "despite" with an adverb like "always"?

No, it is generally not considered grammatically correct to directly follow "despite" with an adverb like "always". "Despite" typically requires a noun phrase. Rewording is recommended for clarity and correctness.

How can I rephrase a sentence containing "despite always" to improve clarity?

Consider rephrasing using "despite the fact that" or "even though" followed by a clause. For example, instead of "despite always being late", try "despite the fact that he is always late" or "even though he is always late".