merits
merits — noun
- meritssingular
- meritsesplural
1. the qualities or features of a person or thing that make them good, valuable, or
the qualities or features of a person or thing that make them good, valuable, or deserving of praise or reward
The selection committee will judge each candidate on their own merits rather than on their family background.
on one's own merits — judged by personal qualities
Fatima's proposal has great merits, especially her plan to reduce waste in the school cafeteria.
has great merits — positive qualities worth praising
Amir received a promotion based on the merits of his work over the past three years.
The book's main merit is that it explains difficult scientific ideas in plain language.
Although the plan has some merits, it still needs a few important changes before we can approve it.
- weaknesses
negative qualities or flaws
- faults
specific defects or shortcomings
文法句型
possessive + merits
merits of + noun
用法筆記
Often used in the phrase 'on one's (own) merits', meaning judged by one's own qualities rather than by reputation or connections. Frequently appears with possessive pronouns (his merits, her merits, its merits).
常見錯誤
2. the advantages or good points of one thing when it is compared with another, esp
the advantages or good points of one thing when it is compared with another, especially when deciding which to choose
The customers weighed the merits of the electric car against those of the hybrid model before making a choice.
weighed the merits of X against Y — comparing advantages
Wei and Hana spent the whole evening debating the merits of studying abroad versus staying at a local university.
Each type of exercise has its own merits; running builds endurance while swimming is easier on the joints.
The report carefully examines the merits and drawbacks of three possible locations for the new hospital.
Before investing, Nadia considered the relative merits of stocks compared to government bonds.
- advantages
more direct and common in everyday speech
- benefits
focuses on what you gain
- strong points
more informal, conversational
- drawbacks
negative aspects or disadvantages
- disadvantages
features that put something in a worse position
文法句型
the merits of X over Y
compare the merits of
用法筆記
Commonly appears with the verb 'weigh' or 'consider' in decision-making contexts. Often paired with 'drawbacks' or 'disadvantages' in a balanced discussion.
常見錯誤
3. the way a decision is made based only on the actual qualities of a person, idea,
the way a decision is made based only on the actual qualities of a person, idea, or case, without being influenced by other factors such as personal feelings, relationships, or outside information
The judge decided the case on its merits rather than on the emotional appeal of the defendant's story.
judge ... on its merits — decide based on substance, not emotion
When hiring, the company promises to evaluate every applicant on the merits of their qualifications alone.
Kenji asked his manager to consider his transfer request on its merits instead of comparing him to other staff members.
The committee voted on the proposal strictly on the merits, ignoring political pressure from outside groups.
- substance
focuses on the essential content rather than procedure
- intrinsic value
more formal, emphasises value within itself
文法句型
on the merits
on its own merits
judge on the merits
用法筆記
This sense is used mainly in formal, legal, or professional contexts. It almost always appears in the fixed phrase 'on the merits' or 'on its own merits'. Do not confuse with sense 1 ('GOOD QUALITIES'), which refers to the qualities themselves rather than the way of judging.
常見錯誤
merits — verb
- meritspresent simple I / you / we / they
- meritses3rd person singular
- meritsing-ing form
- meritsedpast simple
1. to deserve or be important enough for a particular kind of treatment, attention,
to deserve or be important enough for a particular kind of treatment, attention, or reward
The student's original research on marine biology merits special recognition from the faculty.
merits special recognition — deserves a reward or honour
Elena's detailed report on water shortages in the region merits serious attention from local officials.
The complaint was serious enough to merit a full investigation by the safety department.
This issue merits further discussion at the next board meeting because it affects all employees.
The artist's contribution to the community merits being celebrated with a public exhibition.
- deserve
more common and less formal; feels natural in speech
- warrant
slightly more formal, implies something justifies an action
- be worthy of
emphasises that something has the value to justify treatment
- be unworthy of
opposite in value judgement
文法句型
merit + noun
merit + being + past participle
merit + gerund/ing form
用法筆記
More formal than 'deserve'. Common in academic, professional, and legal writing. Often used with abstract nouns like 'attention', 'consideration', 'recognition', or 'investigation'. Can be followed by a gerund (merits being discussed) but NOT by a to-infinitive (⚠️ not 'merits to be discussed').