merciful

adjective

mer·​ci·​ful ˈmər-si-fəl How to pronounce merciful (audio)
: full of mercy : compassionate
a merciful ruler
also : providing relief
a merciful end
mercifulness noun

Examples of merciful in a Sentence

He became less merciful to his enemies. He died a quick and merciful death.
Recent Examples on the Web North Korea treated their release as a sign of good will and a merciful diplomatic gesture aimed at facilitating ​Mr. Edward Wong, New York Times, 18 July 2023 There was something merciful about being able to process the news in private, Weinstein said. Taylor Telford, Washington Post, 11 Apr. 2023 Frank Michael Gifford is here, confirming that our God is good and merciful and faithful. Georgia Slater, Peoplemag, 30 Aug. 2022 Pell was magnanimous and merciful. Raymond J. De Souza, WSJ, 12 Jan. 2023 And now it’s come to a merciful, bittersweet end. Perseverance Apr. 14, Vulture, 14 Apr. 2022 Blessed are the merciful. . . . Kathryn Jean Lopez, National Review, 4 Apr. 2022 More merciful, less maddening. Tim Sullivan, The Courier-Journal, 22 Dec. 2021 Reds player movesJoey Votto, on pause from rehab assignment: 'My swing is not there yet' Reds top prospectsReds prospect Andrew Abbott is showing his upside with his incredible start to the season Reds fans gave a sarcastic cheer when the top of the first inning came to a merciful end. Bobby Nightengale, The Enquirer, 16 Apr. 2023 See More

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

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of merciful was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near merciful

Cite this Entry

“Merciful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/merciful. Accessed 28 Sep. 2023.

Kids Definition

merciful

adjective
mer·​ci·​ful ˈmər-si-fəl How to pronounce merciful (audio)
: having or showing mercy : compassionate
a merciful ruler
mercifully
-f(ə-)lē
adverb
mercifulness noun
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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