merciful

adjective

mer·​ci·​ful ˈmər-si-fəl 

: full of mercy : compassionate

a merciful ruler

also : providing relief

a merciful end

mercifulness

ˈmər-si-fəl-nəs 

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

The cold streak for the MLB best home run bets came to a merciful end on Saturday. — Josh Shepardson, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026

Impermanence turns out to be the cruelest fact and the most merciful one at once. — Dr. Lucy McBride, Time, 8 Aug. 2026

Just when a dreadful day was approaching a merciful end, the chants from the remaining crowd at Citi Field poked fun at the New York Mets’ mess in a way boos cannot match with ridicule. — Will Sammon, New York Times, 25 June 2026

That painful night in Dallas now feels merciful, compared with what this Avs team just experienced. — Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 27 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for merciful

• unmerciful

Kids Definition

merciful

adjective

mer·​ci·​ful ˈmər-si-fəl 

: having or showing mercy : compassionate

a merciful ruler

mercifully

-f(ə-)lē

adverb

mercifulness

-fəl-nəs 

noun