Showing results for "redeeming"

• present participle of redeem.

redeeming

American  

[ri-dee-ming] / rɪˈdi mɪŋ /

adjective

1. offsetting or counterbalancing some fault, defect, or the like.

   a redeeming quality.

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redeeming British  

/ rɪˈdiːmɪŋ /

adjective

1. serving to compensate for faults or deficiencies in quality, etc

   one redeeming feature

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Other Word Forms

• unredeeming
  adjective

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Etymology

Origin of redeeming

First recorded in 1745–55; redeem + -ing ²

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Explanation

A redeeming characteristic is one that counteracts or corrects something negative. If you can only think of one good thing about your next door neighbor, for example, that one thing is her redeeming quality. Your grandpa may be a difficult person who constantly criticizes you and complains about life. If, however, he makes the best chocolate chip cookies you've ever tasted, you can say that cookie baking is his redeeming quality. And if your dog is truly odd-looking, not cute at all except for her long ears, those ears are her one redeeming physical trait — they're the positive thing that balances out all the negatives.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

redeeming

It’s a fun concept—the machine taking on pesky tasks that offer no redeeming mental value—but there’s an important group standing in Big Tech’s way: Big Tech.

From Slate ● Sep. 23, 2026

The only redeeming aspect of the show happens here, on a ski slope, when their youngest daughter Valentina, who was born with Down syndrome, is treated to a lesson via an adaptive ski school.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026

Because private shares are highly illiquid, these investments are bound by lockup agreements, meaning that investors are prohibited from redeeming or withdrawing their capital for a certain period.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 11, 2026

The Nobel Peace Prize laureate was once the darling of foreign diplomats, with legions of supporters at home and a reputation for redeeming Myanmar from a history of iron-fisted martial rule.

From Barron's ● Apr. 30, 2026

If there’s anything redeeming about my mother that Aibileen left out of the letter, I want to know.

From "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett

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