| Main Entry: | demerit |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | fault |
Synonyms: |
bad mark, loss of credit, loss of points, mark against one, punishment |
| Main Entry: | break |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | weaken, cause instability |
Synonyms: |
bankrupt, bust, confound, confute, controvert, cow, cripple, declass, degrade, demerit, demoralize, demote, disconfirm, dispirit, disprove, downgrade, enervate, enfeeble, humiliate, impair, impoverish, incapacitate, pauperize, rebut, reduce, refute, ruin, subdue, tame, undermine |
| Notes: | to brake is to slow or stop while break is to cause to separate into pieces suddenly or violently, smash or crack |
Antonyms: |
stabilize, strengthen |
| Main Entry: | deficiency |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | imperfection, inadequacy |
Synonyms: |
absence, bug*, dearth, defalcation, default, defect, deficit, demerit, dereliction, failing, failure, fault, flaw, frailty, glitch*, inability to hack it, insufficience, insufficiency, lack, loss, need, neglect, paucity, privation, scantiness, scarcity, shortage, shortcoming, sin, want, weakness |
Antonyms: |
adequacy, enough, faultlessness, perfection, plenty, satisfaction, sufficiency, superfluity |
| Main Entry: | demote |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | downgrade, lower in rank |
Synonyms: |
bench, break, bump, bust, declass, degrade, demean, demerit, dismiss, disrate, hold back, kick downstairs, lower, reduce, relegate, set back |
Antonyms: |
improve, promote, rate, upgrade |
| Main Entry: | downgrade |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | lower in opinion or rank |
Synonyms: |
abase, bench, break*, bump*, bust, declass, decrease, decry, degrade, demerit, demote, denigrate, depreciate, detract from, devalorize, devalue, disparage, disrate, humble, mark down, minimize, reduce, run down, set back, take down a peg, undervalue, write off |
Antonyms: |
improve, promote, raise, upgrade |
| Main Entry: | fault |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | physical defect |
Synonyms: |
blemish, debility, deficiency, demerit, imperfection, infirmity, lack, pimple, shortcoming, weak point, weakness, zit |
Antonyms: |
perfection, soundness, strength |
| Main Entry: | imperfection |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | flaw |
Synonyms: |
blemish, bug*, catch, defect, deficiency, deformity, demerit, disfigurement, failing, fallibility, fault, foible, frailty, glitch*, gremlin, inadequacy, incompleteness, infirmity, insufficiency, peccadillo, problem, shortcoming, sin, stain, taint, weak point, weakness |
Antonyms: |
excellence, flawlessness, perfection, purity |
| Main Entry: | reduce |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | humble, humiliate |
Synonyms: |
abase, break, bring low, bump*, bust, declass, degrade, demerit, demote, disgrade, disrate, downgrade, lower, take down a peg |
Antonyms: |
invigorate, raise, strengthen |
| Main Entry: | shortcoming |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | weak point |
Synonyms: |
bug*, catch*, defect, deficiency, demerit, drawback, failing, fault, flaw, frailty, imperfection, infirmity, lack, lapse, sin, weakness |
Antonyms: |
advantage, strong point, success |
| Main Entry: | sin |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | illegal or immoral action |
Synonyms: |
anger, covetousness, crime, damnation, debt, deficiency, demerit, disobedience, envy, error, evil, evil-doing, fault, gluttony, guilt, immorality, imperfection, iniquity, lust, misdeed, offense, peccability, peccadillo, peccancy, pride, shortcoming, sinfulness, sloth, tort, transgression, trespass, ungodliness, unrighteousness, veniality, vice, violation, wickedness, wrong, wrongdoing, wrongness |
Antonyms: |
behavior, goodness, morality |