as in weaknesses
a defect in character
my keyboarding has the advantage of speed but the demerit of inaccuracy
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of demerits
Restaurants that receive more than 30 demerits are required to immediately fix the most critical violations and start corrective procedures on all the other violations within 48 hours.
—
Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 June 2026
Those were the only demerits of the night for Ohtani.
—Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 6 May 2026
Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 June 2026
Those were the only demerits of the night for Ohtani.
—Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 6 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for demerits
Noun
-
To get a better idea of the potential path Charlotte could take based on who may be available, The Charlotte Observer got the talent evaluator’s perspective on who the Hornets could pick and some of their strengths and weaknesses.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
16 June 2026
-
The Justice Department says the hackers used weaknesses in older routers to change DNS settings.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
14 June 2026
Noun
-
Scientists note that infrastructure built across active faults is especially vulnerable, as surface rupture can directly offset roads, buildings, and other structures that span the fault trace.—
Brandi D. Addison,
USA Today,
13 June 2026
-
Equipped with cameras and sensors, the robots can identify faults such as broken wires, worn components, and abnormal temperature changes that could signal potential failures, reports the South China Morning Post (SCMP).—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
11 June 2026
Noun
-
That relationship was based on sinners confessing their sins to this vicar.—
Pat Saperstein,
Variety,
14 June 2026
-
The cult wants to live off the land and not rely on any technology in the apocalypse, and believes the Cordyceps brain infection was a punishment from God for the world’s sins.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
Noun
-
Mike drives Eddie hard in the gym and is blunt about his shortcomings, not to mention his view that Joanne is holding her son back.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
16 June 2026
-
What begins as a story about systemic failures — the difficulty of childcare, the shortcomings of the foster system — contracts into an account of one woman’s trauma response.—
Natalia Winkelman,
Variety,
16 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Demerits.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/demerits. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
