merciless

adjective

mer·​ci·​less ˈmər-si-ləs How to pronounce merciless (audio)
: having or showing no mercy : pitiless
the merciless killing of innocent people
mercilessly adverb
mercilessness noun

Examples of merciless in a Sentence

the merciless killing of innocent people He has been merciless in his criticism of his opponent.
Recent Examples on the Web The film centers on an elite police squad who infiltrate a safe house owned by merciless drug lord Tama, in the hope of taking him down. Dennis Perkins, EW.com, 10 Nov. 2023 Given the chance to save his true love by sacrificing himself, Eric sets out to seek merciless revenge on their killers, traversing the worlds of the living and the dead to put wrong things right. Katcy Stephan, Variety, 21 Feb. 2024 The death of Putin’s most high-profile critic is likely to send shockwaves through parts of Russian society, and punctuates a merciless crackdown on dissidence in Russia that has accelerated during its war with Ukraine. Laura Smith-Spark, CNN, 16 Feb. 2024 This was the year of merciless network and studio cost-cutting, as execs dealt with the financial realities of the post-streaming boom and a pair of Hollywood strikes. Ew Staff Published, EW.com, 12 Dec. 2023 Sometimes, the endings of relationships are merciless. Shon Faye, Vogue, 1 Feb. 2024 Read full article This has been Phoenix’s July in hell — an entire month of merciless heat that has ground down people’s health and patience in the city of 1.6 million, while also straining a regionwide campaign to protect homeless people and older residents who are most vulnerable. Jack Healy, BostonGlobe.com, 31 July 2023 Known for throwing punches, pulling triggers and asking questions later, the mostly Black tactical unit was merciless. Essence, 10 Jan. 2024 But as the song goes, Broadway can often be a merciless place. Lee Cowan, CBS News, 31 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'merciless.' 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 merciless was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near merciless

Cite this Entry

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

Kids Definition

merciless

adjective
mer·​ci·​less ˈmər-si-ləs How to pronounce merciless (audio)
: having no mercy : pitiless
merciless slaughter
mercilessly adverb
mercilessness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on merciless

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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