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
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
Another 10 percent will be merciful, no matter what.
—Stephanie Dillon, Rolling Stone, 23 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for merciful
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
Another 10 percent will be merciful, no matter what.
—Stephanie Dillon, Rolling Stone, 23 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for merciful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for merciful
Adjective
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Jeffrey Tully, an anesthesiology professor at the University of California, San Diego, and a researcher in the health care cybersecurity field, said that tech outages can cause delays in patient care, which cause worse health outcomes.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
15 Jan. 2026
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In our discussion, Hollinger weighs in on whether Detroit should go all-in or operate with an opportunistic mindset; how patient the Pistons should be with guard Jaden Ivey; Detroit’s path to converting Daniss Jenkins’ two-way contract; the future of veteran forward Tobias Harris and more.—
Hunter Patterson,
New York Times,
15 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Sandy Rabins, who led AnimAID efforts to help those in the animation industry affected by the 2025 LA wildfires, will receive the June Foray Award for benevolent impact to the animation community.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
5 Jan. 2026
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Not like a drunk way but like a benevolent alien who couldn’t believe that this planet had donuts.—
Kailyn Brown,
Los Angeles Times,
2 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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These metrics, Cherry notes, help illustrate how meaningful, clear, and compassionate communication can be for families during a difficult time.—
Kaitlyn Gomez,
USA Today,
15 Jan. 2026
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Your compassionate touch keeps excitement alive without overextending anyone involved.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
14 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
According to Cazenave, pathways that feel effortless with furniture not hugging the walls help the room feel immediately more gracious.—
Ashlyn Needham,
The Spruce,
12 Jan. 2026
-
And the sole creator of this life is my gracious friend, the savior who leads me to a new religion, a religion that brings forth a second, new life from deep within me—a life that knows not death!—
Rosa Lyster,
Harpers Magazine,
30 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
Andrew begins to feel both sympathetic and longing for Millie and leaves Nina for the maid.—
Caroline Blair,
PEOPLE,
10 Jan. 2026
-
Although its questions framed the scandal with wording sympathetic to Republicans, the survey suggests the GOP sees an opening that could drag down Democrats.—
Ramsey Touchberry,
The Washington Examiner,
8 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The elder McDaniels responded by saying that was untrue, but added Diggs was kind for calling him that.—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
15 Jan. 2026
-
Those who live and work in the area said Boomer had lived the same building for decades and described her as a kind woman who kept to herself.—
Jesse Zanger,
CBS News,
14 Jan. 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
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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
-
Don’t let the cream’s $8 price tag fool you; the anti-aging find tackles fine lines, wrinkles, and clogged pores, all while being gentle enough for all skin types.—
Isabel Bekele,
InStyle,
16 Jan. 2026
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The gentle support helps keep legs from feeling heavy after hours of sitting, walking, and moving between destinations.—
Chaise Sanders,
Travel + Leisure,
15 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Merciful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/merciful. Accessed 17 Jan. 2026.
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