as in weakness
a defect in character
my keyboarding has the advantage of speed but the demerit of inaccuracy
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Recent Examples of demerit
Fort Worth uses a demerit system, with zero being a perfect score.
—
Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Oct. 2025
India’s wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant received a demerit point from the ICC after the first Test at Headingley for throwing the ball on the floor in frustration after umpire Paul Reiffel had inspected it and turned down his request for a replacement.
—James Wallace, New York Times, 22 Aug. 2025
Extra demerits for making such statements at a music festival.
—Thania Garcia, Variety, 21 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for demerit
Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Oct. 2025
India’s wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant received a demerit point from the ICC after the first Test at Headingley for throwing the ball on the floor in frustration after umpire Paul Reiffel had inspected it and turned down his request for a replacement.
—James Wallace, New York Times, 22 Aug. 2025
Extra demerits for making such statements at a music festival.
—Thania Garcia, Variety, 21 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for demerit
Recent Examples of Synonyms for demerit
Noun
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Ancelotti and Zidane certainly had their own tactical ideas, but were also pragmatic and based game plans primarily on the characteristics (strengths and weaknesses) of the squad made available to them.—
Dermot Corrigan,
New York Times,
31 Oct. 2025
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The Dodgers' bullpen is one of their weaknesses, meaning the team is asking a lot from starters.—
Aaliyan Mohammed,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2025
Noun
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One story of the Desert Fathers recounts a sighting of a demon perched on the top of the monastery, busily scribbling down all the faults of the brothers within.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
31 Oct. 2025
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Innocent to a fault, Rosemary doesn’t see the resentment clouding her husband’s face.—
Sophie Gilbert,
The Atlantic,
30 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The tragic death of the Sepulveda family patriarch calls his descendants back to Villa Sepulveda, a Spanish colonial manor in a coconut plantation; but a landslide traps the guests inside, transforming the funeral plans into a supernatural reckoning of sins.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Nov. 2025
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Once, there were two sweet kids who came of age in the evangelical purity culture of the 1990’s, a world in which being LGBTQ+ or accepting anyone who was gay was seen as a sin that could send you straight to hell.—
Kelly Foster Lundquist,
PEOPLE,
2 Nov. 2025
Noun
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The announcement comes after a USA TODAY report earlier this month that detailed the shortcomings of the platform’s existing safety features, along with data that showed the prevalence of teens using AI companions.—
Rachel Hale,
USA Today,
29 Oct. 2025
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The aluminum and stainless-steel layers in the Strata pan make up for these shortcomings, resulting in a skillet that’s surprisingly lightweight and responsive to heat.—
Editors of Bon Appétit,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
29 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Everyday absurdities, moral failings and big-city tension carry a pointed social sting.—
Emiliano De Pablos,
Variety,
29 Oct. 2025
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There were festering family vendettas; botched forensics; staggering police failings.—
Heidi Blake,
New Yorker,
28 Oct. 2025
Noun
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However, specific groups may be particularly vulnerable to deficiency, and the consequences can be significant.—
Heather Jones,
Verywell Health,
23 Oct. 2025
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That has allowed the Dodgers to hide their deficiencies in the bullpen – and ask less of their offense.—
Bill Plunkett,
Oc Register,
23 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Demerit.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/demerit. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.
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