Word · CEFR C2 · Frequency #3641
merit
价值；功劳
The quality of being worthy of praise, reward, or assistance; worth.
- 1.
A claim to commendation or a reward.
应受称赞或奖励的理由。
- 2.
any admirable quality or attribute
任何值得称赞的品质或属性
- 3.
A mark or token of approbation or to recognize excellence.
表示认可或表彰卓越的标志或象征。
- 4.
the quality of being deserving (e.g., deserving assistance)
值得(如值得帮助)的品质
- 5.
Something deserving or worthy of positive recognition or reward.
值得正面认可或奖励的事物。
- 6.
Usually in the plural form the merits: the substantive rightness or wrongness of a legal argument, a lawsuit, etc., as opposed to technical matters such as the admissibility of evidence or points of legal procedure; (by extension) the overall good or bad quality, or rightness or wrongness, of some other thing.
(通常用复数 merits)法律论点、案件等的实质是非,区别于技术性问题(如证据可采性或程序问题)；引申指某事物的总体优劣或对错。
优点；长处；奖章；荣誉；是非曲直；实质问题；应受称赞或奖励的理由。；任何值得称赞的品质或属性
In use
Each candidate is judged on their own merits.
The proposal has great merit and deserves serious consideration.
He received an award for his merits in the project.
work of great merit
there is merit in sth/doing sth
后接名词或动名词，正式语境中常用来表达某做法有优点。
There is real merit in exploring this idea further.
进一步探索这个想法确有可取之处。
have merit
主语通常为观点、论点、计划等；常见于否定句或疑问句。
His criticism has some merit.
他的批评有一些道理。
the merits of sth
merits 常用复数，指事物的长处或值得肯定的方面。
Connections
Collocations
- have merit
- 有价值；有可取之处
- The proposal has some merit, but it needs more research.这个提议有一些可取之处，但还需要更多研究。
- artistic merit
- 艺术价值
- The judges praised the film for its artistic merit.评委称赞这部电影的艺术价值。
- merit badge
- 荣誉徽章；功绩徽章
- She earned a merit badge for her volunteer work.她因志愿工作获得了一枚荣誉徽章。
- judge on the merits
- 按是非曲直评判
- Each application will be judged on its merits.每一份申请都会按其是非曲直来评判。
- merit pay
- 绩效工资
- The company introduced merit pay to reward top performers.公司引入了绩效工资来奖励优秀员工。
- merits of the case
Learner notes
Memory Tip
merit 中间是“me”，记住“我(me)有 merit 就该得奖励”——merit 正是应得的称赞。
Context & Register
语域：formal 常见场景：学术写作与正式评论、绩效评估与颁奖评语、法律与案件讨论 merit 作名词时多用于正式语境，如学术写作、官方评价或法律讨论中，表示‘优点、价值或值得认可之处’；日常口语中较少使用。
Grammar Note
可数名词，常用复数
Pronunciation & Spelling
In American English, 'demerit', 'ferret', and 'inherit' rhyme with 'merit' because they share the stressed /ɛr/ and final /ət/ sound. 'Spirit' and 'limit' look similar but have a different vowel (/ɪ/ instead of /ɛ/), so they do not rhyme.
Usage priority
Collins 词频等级为 2，建议结合例句记忆，而不是只背中文释义。
Learn the forms together
页面下方列出了常见词形变化。学习时注意它们在句子中的语法位置。
Dictionary facts from ECDICT, OCTANOVE, WIKTIONARY, WORDNET.