Mercy Definition & Meaning

American

British

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Synonyms Mercy 1 American [mur-see] / ˈmɜr si /

noun

1. a female given name.

mercy 2 American [mur-see] / ˈmɜr si /

noun

plural

mercies

1. compassionate or kindly forbearance shown toward an offender, an enemy, or other person in one's power; compassion, pity, or benevolence.

   Have mercy on the poor sinner.

   Synonyms: tenderness, lenity, leniency, clemency, indulgence, forgiveness, mildness Antonyms: cruelty

2. the disposition to be compassionate or forbearing.

   an adversary wholly without mercy.

3. the discretionary power of a judge to pardon someone or to mitigate punishment, especially to send to prison rather than invoke the death penalty.

4. an act of kindness, compassion, or favor.

   She has performed countless small mercies for her friends and neighbors.

5. something that gives evidence of divine favor; blessing.

   It was just a mercy we had our seat belts on when it happened.

idioms

1. at the mercy of, entirely in the power of; subject to: Also at one's mercy.

   They were at the mercy of their captors.

mercy British / ˈmɜːsɪ /

noun

1. compassionate treatment of or attitude towards an offender, adversary, etc, who is in one's power or care; clemency; pity

2. the power to show mercy

   to throw oneself on someone's mercy

3. a relieving or welcome occurrence or state of affairs

   his death was a mercy after weeks of pain

4. in the power of

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 mercy More Idioms

1. see at the mercy of.

Etymology

Origin of mercy

First recorded in 1125–75; Middle English merci, from Old French, earlier mercit, from Latin mercēd-, stem of mercēs “wages” ( Late Latin, Medieval Latin: “heavenly reward”), derivative of merc-, stem of merx “commodity, goods, merchandise”

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Those frozen cubes of crushed ginger—now available nearly everywhere—can feel less like a shortcut than a small mercy.

From Salon

God’s blessings and mercy for him and his family.

From The Wall Street Journal

Ms. MeLampy leaves us with the contention that we may be no different—and no better—than the other animals at the mercy of evolution’s arc.

From The Wall Street Journal

"We pray for God's mercy upon those who lost their lives in this tragic accident and extend our condolences to their families," he added.

From Barron's

If Francis had a byword for his papacy, it was “mercy,” which he made the theme of a special jubilee year starting in 2015.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• benevolence
• blessing
• charity
• clemency
• forgiveness
• generosity
• goodwill
• grace
• leniency
• pity
• sympathy
• tolerance

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.