as in weakness
a defect in character
my keyboarding has the advantage of speed but the demerit of inaccuracy
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of demerit
Those were the only demerits of the night for Ohtani.
—
Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 6 May 2026
Class participation earned students a merit; minor infractions, like talking out of turn, led to a demerit.
—Steven F. Wilson, The Atlantic, 24 Apr. 2026
But in a movie that’s worth a meatier discussion, this prof (played by the auteur Eva Victor) gets a demerit for class planning.
—Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 10 Apr. 2026
To discourage the consumption of demerit goods, governments often place heavy taxes on them and impose minimum age regulations on their use.
—Bylaura Payne, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for demerit
Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 6 May 2026
Class participation earned students a merit; minor infractions, like talking out of turn, led to a demerit.
—Steven F. Wilson, The Atlantic, 24 Apr. 2026
But in a movie that’s worth a meatier discussion, this prof (played by the auteur Eva Victor) gets a demerit for class planning.
—Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 10 Apr. 2026
To discourage the consumption of demerit goods, governments often place heavy taxes on them and impose minimum age regulations on their use.
—Bylaura Payne, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for demerit
Recent Examples of Synonyms for demerit
Noun
-
Spending has held up, and the economy hasn’t shown the kind of demand collapse that typically accompanies recession-level income weakness.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
2 June 2026
-
Oftentimes, people associate apologizing too much as a sign of incompetence, weakness or even behavior that’s annoying.—
Avni Trivedi,
CNN Money,
2 June 2026
Noun
-
California has over 500 active faults, but scientists cannot predict when earthquakes will occur.—
Brandi D. Addison,
USA Today,
4 June 2026
-
The investigation hasn’t definitively concluded that Vision Media is at fault.—
Winston Cho,
HollywoodReporter,
4 June 2026
Noun
-
My youth was my downfall, my sin love, and the go-between a snowy day.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 May 2026
-
For pilgrims, Hajj, performed over five days, can be a deeply moving spiritual experience and a chance to seek God’s forgiveness and the erasure of past sins.—
Baraa Anwer,
Los Angeles Times,
26 May 2026
Noun
-
Supporters say the bill was designed to address shortcomings identified after the Evergreen shooting.—
Jamie Leary,
CBS News,
31 May 2026
-
That was before the IPO filing laid out an even bigger number, and well before Musk chimed in this week, effectively acknowledging that the prospectus has shortcomings.—
Lora Kolodny,
CNBC,
29 May 2026
Noun
-
The director explains that there’s a very real weight stigma that exists in society and that due to that it’s often suggested that being in a larger body is somehow a moral failing.—
Nicole Fell,
HollywoodReporter,
3 June 2026
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Mary disrupts Clark’s equilibrium with the Backrooms by refusing to validate his excuses for his behavior, fully calling out his failings, his petty assholery, and his glib, solipsistic lies.—
Tasha Robinson,
Vulture,
29 May 2026
Noun
-
From a defensive standpoint, each element would be a plus-defender with the exception of Powell, which should make this lineup much easier to mask the deficiencies of a negative-defender, such as the ones with Herro.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
6 June 2026
-
Research suggests that some nutrient deficiencies are more common in people with diabetes.—
Brianna Tobritzhofer,
Health,
4 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Demerit.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/demerit. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
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