mercy

noun

mer·​cy ˈmər-sē How to pronounce mercy (audio)
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
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 Part of the problem, staffers said, is that Israeli officials don’t talk to them directly, leaving them at the mercy of contradictory media reports. Sufian Taha, Washington Post, 9 Mar. 2024 The last ten days of Ramadan are said to be overflowing with God’s mercy and forgiveness, and Muslims spend lots of time focusing on worship. The Enquirer, 7 Mar. 2024 Entrenched somewhere between the ancient and the futuristic, La Paz is a city at the mercy of the forces of history and nature. Javier Rodríguez-Camacho, SPIN, 7 Mar. 2024 While renewables are secure in the knowledge that wind will blow and the sun will shine, bioenergy facilities’ reliance on residues leaves it at the mercy of wider headwinds. Wood MacKenzie, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024 One common complaint from screenwriters is that their work is at the mercy of siloed decision-making, and a promising career can be derailed by one review — often from an intern, unqualified reader and increasingly an algorithm. Tatiana Siegel, Variety, 27 Feb. 2024 The second year of war dragged on through Ukraine slowly and with little mercy. Claire Harbage, NPR, 23 Feb. 2024 That leaves them at the mercy of the grid they’re connected to and whatever the day’s mix of natural gas, nuclear and renewable power generation is given the lack of transmission lines between regions. Naureen S. Malik, Fortune, 25 Feb. 2024 Islanders will also be at the mercy of viewers at home, said a news release about the casting announcement, who will vote to determine who gets another shot at love and who leaves the villa heartbroken and empty-handed. Kylie Martin, Detroit Free Press, 23 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'mercy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of mercy was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near mercy

Cite this Entry

“Mercy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mercy. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

mercy

noun
mer·​cy ˈmər-sē How to pronounce mercy (audio)
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."

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