If someone in authority shows mercy, they choose not to harm someone they have power over, or they forgive someone they have the right to punish.
Neither side took prisoners or showed any mercy.
They cried for mercy but their pleas were met with abuse and laughter.
May God have mercy on your soul.
Synonyms: compassion, charity, pity, forgiveness More Synonyms of mercy
2. adjective [ADJECTIVE noun]
Mercy is used to describe a special journey to help someone in great need, such as people who are sick or made homeless by war.
[journalism]
She vanished nine months ago while on a mercy mission to West Africa.
It's the first so-called mercy flight for a fortnight as the Americans have beenwaiting for enough people to fill a 747 jet.
3. countable noun
If you refer to an event or situation as amercy, you mean that it makes you feel happy or relieved, usually because it stops something unpleasant happening.
It really was a mercy that he'd died so rapidly at the end.
The two cars finished up in a run-off area, clear of the circuit, and that was amercy.
Synonyms: blessing, relief, boon, godsend More Synonyms of mercy
4.
See at the mercy of someone
5.
See grateful/thankful for small mercies
6.
See throw yourself on someone's mercy
mercy in British English
(ˈmɜːsɪ)
nounWord forms: plural-cies
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. at the mercy of
Word origin
C12: from Old French, from Latin mercēs wages, recompense, price, from merx goods
mercy in American English
(ˈmɜrsi)
nounWord forms: pluralˈmercies
1.
a refraining from harming or punishing offenders, enemies, persons in one's power, etc.; kindness in excess of what may be expected or demanded by fairness; forbearance and compassion
2.
imprisonment rather than the death penalty imposed on those found guilty of capital crimes
3.
a disposition to forgive, pity, or be kind
4.
the power to forgive or be kind; clemency
to throw oneself on the mercy of the court
5.
kind or compassionate treatment; relief of suffering
6.
a fortunate thing; thing to be grateful for; blessing
a mercy he wasn't killed
interjection
7.
used to express surprise, annoyance, fear, etc.
Idioms:
at the mercy of
SYNONYMY NOTE: mercy implies a kindness or forbearance, as in punishing offenders, in excess of what maybe demanded by fairness, or it may connote kindness and sympathy to those in distress;, clemency refers to a tendency toward mercy in one whose duty it is to punish offenders; , lenity usually implies excessive mercy or mildness toward offenders where greater strictnessmight be preferable; , charity, in this connection, implies a kindly understanding and tolerance in judging others
OPPOSITES: severity, cruelty
Word origin
OFr merci < L merces, hire, payment, reward (in LL, mercy, pity, favor) < merx, wares: see market
Examples of 'mercy' in a sentence
mercy
Mercy killing is also illegal on the battlefield.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
What place have mercy and pity in calculation?
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
This time of rest has been a great mercy.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
It was a small mercy that only six riders were forced to abandon.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Judges should have a wide discretion to temper justice with mercy.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
The legal position on mercy killing is unambiguous.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
Up against all this swagger, their opponents can at least feel thankful for one small mercy.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
British mercy flights had airlifted 5,000 Egyptians home by last night.
The Sun (2011)
It doesn't help anyone, mercy killing.
The Sun (2011)
Quotations
Yet I shall temper so Justice with mercyJohn MiltonParadise Lost
In other languages
mercy
British English: mercy /ˈmɜːsɪ/ NOUN
If someone in authority shows mercy, they choose not to harm or punish someone they have power over.
His life was now at the mercy of a judge.
American English: mercy
Arabic: رَحَمَةٌ
Brazilian Portuguese: piedade
Chinese: 宽恕
Croatian: milost
Czech: slitování
Danish: nåde
Dutch: genade
European Spanish: misericordia
Finnish: armo
French: clémence
German: Erbarmen
Greek: οίκτος
Italian: misericordia
Japanese: 慈悲
Korean: 자비 은혜
Norwegian: barmhjertighet
Polish: litość
European Portuguese: piedade
Romanian: milă
Russian: милосердие
Latin American Spanish: misericordia
Swedish: nåd
Thai: ความเมตตา
Turkish: merhamet
Ukrainian: милосердя
Vietnamese: sự khoan dung
Chinese translation of 'mercy'
mercy
(ˈməːsɪ)
n(u)
宽(寬)恕 (kuānshù)
to beg or plead for mercy乞求宽(寬)恕 (qǐqiú kuānshù)
to have mercy on sb怜(憐)悯(憫)某人 (liánmǐn mǒurén)
to be at the mercy of sb任凭(憑)某人的摆(擺)布(佈) (rènpíng mǒurén de bǎibù)
1 (noun)
Definition
the power to show mercy
Neither side showed its prisoners any mercy.
Synonyms
compassion
They preach universal kindness and compassion.
charity
He had no sense of right and wrong, no charity, no humanity.
pity
He felt a sudden tender pity for her.
forgiveness
I offered up a prayer for forgiveness.
quarter
It is brutal work, with no quarter given.
favour
They viewed him with favour.
grace
He was granted four days' grace to be with his family.
kindness
We have been treated with such kindness by everybody.
clemency
The prisoners' pleas for clemency were turned down.
leniency
The judge rejected pleas for leniency.
benevolence
A bit of benevolence from people in power is not what we need.
forbearance
Opposites
cruelty
,
brutality
,
severity
,
harshness
,
inhumanity
,
pitilessness
2 (noun)
Definition
a relieving or welcome occurrence or act
It was a mercy he'd gone so quickly in the end.
Synonyms
blessing
the blessings of prosperity
relief
boon
This battery booster is a boon for photographers.
godsend
A microwave is a godsend for busy people.
piece of luck
benison (archaic)
idiom
See at the mercy of something or someone
Quotation
Yet I shall temper so Justice with mercy [John Milton – Paradise Lost]
Additional synonyms
in the sense of benevolence
Definition
inclination to do good
A bit of benevolence from people in power is not what we need.
Synonyms
kindness,
understanding,
charity,
grace,
sympathy,
humanity,
tolerance,
goodness,
goodwill,
compassion,
generosity,
indulgence,
decency,
altruism,
clemency,
gentleness,
philanthropy,
magnanimity,
fellow feeling,
beneficence,
kindliness,
kind-heartedness,
aroha (New Zealand)
in the sense of boon
Definition
something extremely useful, helpful, or beneficial
This battery booster is a boon for photographers.
Synonyms
benefit,
advantage,
blessing,
godsend,
gift
in the sense of charity
Definition
a kindly attitude towards people
He had no sense of right and wrong, no charity, no humanity.
Synonyms
kindness,
love,
pity,
humanity,
affection,
goodness,
goodwill,
compassion,
generosity,
indulgence,
bounty,
altruism,
benevolence,
Agape,
fellow feeling,
benignity,
bountifulness,
tenderheartedness,
aroha (New Zealand)
Synonyms of 'mercy'
mercy
Explore 'mercy' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of clemency
Definition
mercy
The prisoners' pleas for clemency were turned down.
Synonyms
mercy,
pity,
humanity,
compassion,
kindness,
forgiveness,
indulgence,
leniency,
forbearance,
quarter,
mercifulness
in the sense of favour
Definition
an approving attitude
They viewed him with favour.
Synonyms
approval,
grace,
esteem,
goodwill,
kindness,
friendliness,
commendation,
partiality,
approbation,
kind regard
in the sense of forgiveness
Definition
the act of forgiving or the state of being forgiven
I offered up a prayer for forgiveness.
Synonyms
pardon,
mercy,
absolution,
exoneration,
overlooking,
amnesty,
acquittal,
remission,
condonation
in the sense of godsend
Definition
a person or thing that comes unexpectedly but is very welcome
A microwave is a godsend for busy people.
Synonyms
blessing,
help,
benefit,
asset,
boon,
windfall,
stroke of luck,
manna
in the sense of grace
Definition
a delay granted for the completion of a task or payment of a debt
He was granted four days' grace to be with his family.
Synonyms
indulgence,
mercy,
pardon,
compassion,
quarter,
charity,
forgiveness,
reprieve,
clemency,
leniency,
lenity
in the sense of kindness
Definition
the quality of being kind
We have been treated with such kindness by everybody.