as in patient
showing kindness and forgiveness instead of harshness or cruelty especially to someone under one's authority or control
When our English teacher caught us cheating, we prayed he would be merciful in deciding our punishment.
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Recent Examples of merciful
Not to be the guy to be merciful and fly out benignly to right field for the game’s final out.
—
Mirjam Swanson, Oc Register, 9 Oct. 2025
May he be received into the merciful arms of our loving Savior who suffered and died for Charlie.
—Amanda Castro
gabe Whisnant
anna Commander
toby Meyjes
shane Croucher
john Feng
joshua Rhett Miller, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Sep. 2025
Founded in the mid-19th century as a grocery store in Greenwich Village, the bar retains a patina of its early years—the dim interior, wood walls, the merciful lack of thunka-thunk music.
—Harrison Hill, AFAR Media, 19 Aug. 2025
Basically a reboot after the last World trilogy with Chris Pratt came to a merciful conclusion, Rebirth stars Scarlett Johansson, Mahershala Ali, Jonathan Bailey, and Rupert Friend, but, of course, the real stars are the dinosaurs.
—Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 12 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for merciful
Mirjam Swanson, Oc Register, 9 Oct. 2025
May he be received into the merciful arms of our loving Savior who suffered and died for Charlie.
—Amanda Castro
gabe Whisnant
anna Commander
toby Meyjes
shane Croucher
john Feng
joshua Rhett Miller, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Sep. 2025
Founded in the mid-19th century as a grocery store in Greenwich Village, the bar retains a patina of its early years—the dim interior, wood walls, the merciful lack of thunka-thunk music.
—Harrison Hill, AFAR Media, 19 Aug. 2025
Basically a reboot after the last World trilogy with Chris Pratt came to a merciful conclusion, Rebirth stars Scarlett Johansson, Mahershala Ali, Jonathan Bailey, and Rupert Friend, but, of course, the real stars are the dinosaurs.
—Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 12 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for merciful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for merciful
Adjective
-
Meanwhile, be patient during intense discussions with one of your kids or a romantic partner.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Turkey has long been a leading destination for cosmetic surgery, and demand has been on the rise, attracting an international patient base from Europe, North America, and beyond.—
Kaitlyn Gomez,
Miami Herald,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
We are mostly meant to feel the movie, to allow our souls to be prodded and hugged tightly by this benevolent picture’s generous assessment of the most dangerous animal to ever exist on the planet.—
Richard Lawson,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Trump should ask himself whether stirring a hornet’s nest serves any purpose other than pointlessly alienating a benevolent neighbor that is beginning to pad its insurance policy by reaching out to non-hemispheric powers.—
Daniel DePetris,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Depictions of such raw humanity have the capacity to shape us into more compassionate community members, more thoughtful voters and more indignant seekers of justice.—
Anya Sesay,
jsonline.com,
5 Feb. 2026
-
On the surface, this may sound compassionate.—
Eleanor Sobel,
Sun Sentinel,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Through gracious moves and quiet motion, his presence adds more drama to a simple image.—
Cecilia Rodriguez,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
-
My colleagues were more than gracious enough to take some time out of their day to taste-test copious amounts of chocolate.—
Nicole Hoey,
Robb Report,
24 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Will Swenson, the accomplished Broadway actor, offers an unusually sympathetic yet never sentimentalized Sweeney.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Feb. 2026
-
In one corner, the heartless girlboss; in the other, the crackpot conspiracy theorist (who just happens to be more sympathetic and charismatic than such types usually are).—
Nate Jones,
Vulture,
31 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Thank you, too, to the dozens of people who wrote in with kind corrections.—
AJ Willingham,
AJC.com,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Vargo also recalled a kind woman who had a gentle spirit.—
Alysa Guffey,
IndyStar,
4 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Jenna and Kevin, the warring magazine writers, seek refuge at The Winters Inn, a quaint bed and breakfast owned by the kindly Christopher and Carol Winters.—
Domenica Bongiovanni,
IndyStar,
25 Nov. 2025
-
Allen’s combo of flip insincerity and kindly concern is a terrific treat, recalling Bill Murray at his doofy best.—
Duane Byrge,
HollywoodReporter,
11 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
The intuitive Moon is in your sign, lighting your 1st House of Identity and inviting you to show gentle leadership through presence rather than pressure.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
5 Feb. 2026
-
This villa is high enough to feel secluded, but never removed from the gentle rhythm of the Caribbean island of Bequia.—
Rebekah Evans,
TheWeek,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Merciful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/merciful. Accessed 6 Feb. 2026.
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