merciful

adjective

mer·ci·ful | \ˈmər-si-fəl

Definition of merciful

: full of mercy : compassionate a merciful ruler also : providing relief a merciful end

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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

Had that remained the case this pardon might have even been widely seen as merciful. — Jake Bullinger, Outside Online, "Trump’s Pardon Condones Western Rebellion," 12 July 2018 Thankfully, this misguided venture by my sister came to a merciful conclusion. — Bob Fernandez, Philly.com, "Philly law firm Schnader Harrison, lawyer sued in Middleton brother-sister feud over billions," 26 June 2018 Another case may be that of a woman who decides to end her life and assumes the idea of murdering her children as a merciful act to avoid pain and suffering, Pettit said. — Johanna A. Álvarez, miamiherald, "Florida among top states for murder-suicides," 2 July 2018 Our long-term goal must be the development and enactment of a pro-family, just, merciful, and comprehensive immigration reform. — San Antonio Express-News, "Archbishop’s call for all life, ‘sanctity of every family’," 1 July 2018 Moreover, the merciful rarity of these situations also makes them harder to prepare for. — Jack Stewart, WIRED, "Crash-Happy RC Cars Make Self-Driving Tech Smarter," 29 June 2018 The Archdiocese of Boston welcomes them to our parishes and the ministry of celebrating the sacraments, sharing the gift of faith and witnessing the loving, merciful presence of the Lord. — Elise Takahama, BostonGlobe.com, "Cardinal Sean O’Malley to ordain 7 priests for Boston Archdiocese," 18 May 2018 The convenient co-location, staggered schedule and merciful running times allow seeing multiple shows in a single day. — Philip Brandes, latimes.com, "The 99 Seat Beat: ‘Lysistrata' at the Odyssey, '100 Aprils' at Rogue Machine, plus a 'Monster Mash'," 8 June 2018 Corey Brettschneider, a constitutional law professor at Brown University and Fordham Law School, said pardon power is meant to be a merciful gesture to those who have suffered at the hands of the law. — Stephen Collinson, CNN, "Trump has many motivations -- but power rules them all," 1 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'merciful.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.