Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

demerit

/dɪˈmɛɹɪt/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: 2.34 in modern English

Syllables
de-mer-it
IPA
/dɪˈmɛɹɪt/
10
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
3
Syllables
6
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A quality of being inadequate; a disadvantage, a fault.

Countable; Uncountable

noun

A mark given for bad conduct to a person attending an educational institution or serving in the army.

Countable; Uncountable

noun

That which one merits or deserves, either of good or ill; desert.

Countable; Uncountable

verb

To deserve.

Archaic; Transitive verb

verb

To depreciate or cry down.

Archaic; Transitive verb

Example Sentences

Etymology

From Middle English demerit, demerite, from Old French desmerite (modern French démérite) and its etymon Latin dēmeritum. By surface analysis, de- + merit.

Origin

Word Breakdown

  • Root: demerit,demerite, desmerite, dēmeritum

Usage

Inflected Forms

Derived Forms

Phrases

Synonyms

Antonyms

Rhymes With

Questions

How do you pronounce demerit?
The recorded pronunciation is /dɪˈmɛɹɪt/.
What does demerit mean?
A quality of being inadequate; a disadvantage, a fault.
Where does demerit come from?
It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce demerit

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “demerit”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/dɪˈmɛɹɪt/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “demerit”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “demerit” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.