mercy

noun

mer·​cy ˈmər-sē 

plural mercies

1

a

: compassion or forbearance (see forbearance sense 1) shown especially to an offender or to one subject to one's power

also : lenient or compassionate treatment

begged for mercy

b

: imprisonment rather than death imposed as penalty for first-degree murder

2

a

: a blessing that is an act of divine favor or compassion

May God have mercy on us.

b

: a fortunate circumstance

it was a mercy they found her before she froze

3

: compassionate treatment of those in distress

works of mercy among the poor

mercy adjective

Phrases

at the mercy of

: wholly in the power of : with no way to protect oneself against

Synonyms

• charity
• clemency
• forbearance
• lenience
• leniency
• lenity
• mercifulness
• quarter

Choose the Right Synonym for mercy

mercy, charity, clemency, grace, leniency mean a disposition to show kindness or compassion.

mercy implies compassion that forbears punishing even when justice demands it.

threw himself on the mercy of the court

charity stresses benevolence and goodwill shown in broad understanding and tolerance of others.

show a little charity for the less fortunate

clemency implies a mild or merciful disposition in one having the power or duty of punishing.

the judge refused to show clemency

grace implies a benign attitude and a willingness to grant favors or make concessions.

by the grace of God

leniency implies lack of severity in punishing.

criticized the courts for excessive leniency

Examples of mercy in a Sentence

He is a vicious criminal who deserves no mercy.

She fell to her knees and asked for mercy.

They came on a mission of mercy to provide food and medical care for starving children.

It's a mercy that the building was empty when the fire started.

Thank heaven for small mercies.

Recent Examples on the Web

The vulnerability of people who find themselves at the mercy of unjust prosecutions — with little protection at the outset and no guarantees throughout — can signal a larger breakdown to come. —Emily Bazelon, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2024

Not separating the four pieces of technology and their risks means an organization and its leadership are at the mercy of department heads who may confuse the impact LLMs can have on cybersecurity, for instance, by just looking at the sometimes hilariously wrong results chatbots produce. —Kevin Korte, Forbes, 30 Sep. 2024

For girls and women in twentieth-century Ireland, to be unmarried and pregnant was akin to a crime against the Catholic state, and little mercy was shown even to the very young or to victims of rape or abuse. —Jessica Winter, The New Yorker, 20 Sep. 2024

After finding himself at the mercy of a cease-and-desist letter from Pitbull’s legal team and living in his aunt’s garage-turned-efficiency, Izzy embarks on an absurd quest to turn himself into a modern-day Tony Montana. —Sarah Yang, Sunset Magazine, 15 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French merci, from Medieval Latin merced-, merces, from Latin, price paid, wages, from merc-, merx merchandise

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing mercy

• at someone's or something's mercy
• have mercy
• have mercy/pity
• mercy killing
• mission of mercy
• of mercy
• show no mercy
• take mercy on
• throw oneself on the mercy of (someone)
• to the mercy of

Kids Definition

mercy

noun

mer·​cy ˈmər-sē 

plural mercies

1

a

: kind and gentle treatment of someone (as a wrongdoer or opponent) having no right to it

b

: a disposition to show mercy

2

a

: a blessing as an act of divine love

the mercies of God

b

: a fortunate happening

it's a mercy the weather cooled off

3

: kindness shown to victims of misfortune

works of mercy among the poor

Etymology

Middle English merci, mercy "mercy," from early French merci, mercit (same meaning), from Latin merces "price paid for something, wages, reward"

Word Origin

To the ancient Romans, the Latin word merces meant "price paid for something, wages, reward." The early Christians of Rome used the word in a slightly different way. For them it meant the spiritual reward one receives for doing a kindness in response to an unkindness. The word came into early French as mercit or merci with much the same meaning as was later passed on to our Modern English word mercy. But while mercy in English now has the meaning "kindness or pity shown to someone," the word merci in French has lost much of that meaning and is chiefly used today to mean "thank you."