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
And the Bills routed the Jets, 40-14, to inch New York one game closer to a merciful end for a miserable season.
—
Zak Keefer, The Athletic, 30 Dec. 2024
In truth, the scoreline was merciful on City.
—Jacob Tanswell, The Athletic, 22 Dec. 2024
Eventually, the company will miss an earnings target or announce an earnings warning, and, as recent history has shown, the market will not be merciful in its reaction.
—Charles Rotblut, Forbes, 18 Dec. 2024
The game comes to a merciful end.
—Dan Duggan, The Athletic, 16 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for merciful
Zak Keefer, The Athletic, 30 Dec. 2024
In truth, the scoreline was merciful on City.
—Jacob Tanswell, The Athletic, 22 Dec. 2024
Eventually, the company will miss an earnings target or announce an earnings warning, and, as recent history has shown, the market will not be merciful in its reaction.
—Charles Rotblut, Forbes, 18 Dec. 2024
The game comes to a merciful end.
—Dan Duggan, The Athletic, 16 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for merciful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for merciful
Adjective
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Physicians suffering from burnout are more than twice as likely to be involved in patient safety incidents than physicians who are not suffering from burnout.—
Gil Press,
Forbes.com,
28 Apr. 2025
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Despite increasing residency programs, student debt forgiveness, and tuition-free medical school, California is unlikely to meet patient demand, observers say.—
Bernard J. Wolfson and Vanessa G. Sánchez,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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But at its core, Wrexham’s rapid rise owes mostly to club stumbling into a relationship with a benevolent benefactor with far more resources than most of its now-former fourth- and fifth-division peers.—
Ian Nicholas Quillen,
Forbes.com,
27 Apr. 2025
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Kate has always been considered to have a killer instinct and able to make these tough moral choices, and not always in the most benevolent way.—
Carly Thomas,
HollywoodReporter,
25 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Officials expect about 100 prisoners each year will qualify for compassionate release, Buis said.—
Don Thompson,
Mercury News,
22 Apr. 2025
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When delivering bad news, be succinct and compassionate.—
Roberta Matuson,
Forbes.com,
21 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Reddit users in the comments section were sympathetic toward the former bridesmaid.—
Ashlyn Robinette,
People.com,
23 Apr. 2025
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So the concern is, how sympathetic are the courts going to be to arguments that an agency doesn't have the personnel or the person power to get through the FOIA backlog?—
Tax Notes Staff,
Forbes.com,
22 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The draft will be held in Green Bay, and the NFL always brings in collegians who figure to be taken high, so Commissioner Roger Goodell can be the gracious host and hug them after they’re picked.—
Nick Canepa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
19 Apr. 2025
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Rose was gracious as ever after his second straight time finishing second in a major, having lost out at Royal Troon last summer.—
Doug Ferguson,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Harrell describes her daughter as a kind, sweet child who always sought to do what was right.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
People.com,
26 Apr. 2025
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What Lee liked best about playing Go-tak, a seemingly tough guy with a kind heart, was bonding with his fellow actors.—
Joan MacDonald,
Forbes.com,
25 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The cast includes Stephen Merchant as the voice of the mouse, Kristen Wiig as a scenery-chewing evil aunt, and Jim Broadbent as a kindly but clueless king.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
20 Dec. 2024
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In his fourth feature, director Hsiao Ya-Chuan follows the unsentimental education of a motherless 11-year-old boy, Liao Jie (Bai Run-yin), raised in poverty by his kindly father, Liao Tai-lai (Liu Kuan-Ting), a waiter at a busy banqueting hall.—
Alissa Simon,
Variety,
25 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Follow discipline with a calm, comforting debrief Debriefing conversations should be gentle and happen after everyone has calmed down.—
Caroline Fleck, Contributor,
CNBC,
23 Apr. 2025
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When using a soothing, gentle and slightly higher-pitched voice, a dog will understand it as nonthreatening and reassuring.—
Ross Rosenfeld,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Merciful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/merciful. Accessed 1 May. 2025.
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