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
Not only did the team put an offensive moniker that shall remain nameless in this space in its past, but Snyder's sad and disturbing reign as owner finally came to a merciful end.
—Jim Reineking, USA Today, 21 July 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
Not only did the team put an offensive moniker that shall remain nameless in this space in its past, but Snyder's sad and disturbing reign as owner finally came to a merciful end.
—Jim Reineking, USA Today, 21 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for merciful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for merciful
Adjective
-
After his release, he was placed on house arrest at an in-patient mental health facility and ordered to wear an ankle monitor.—
Ray Sanchez,
CNN Money,
2 Nov. 2025
-
McGovern and Martinez’s advice to other parents is to remain patient and know that things might not go as expected.—
Colson Thayer,
PEOPLE,
31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
America appears to be, at the moment, in a sort of benevolent hostage situation.—
Matteo Wong,
The Atlantic,
30 Oct. 2025
-
Sandy Claws Santa Claus, or Sandy Claws in Halloween Town, is a benevolent figure who loves to give cheer to everyone.—
Lisa Stardust,
PEOPLE,
28 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
That statement perfectly captures who Nathan is— a thoughtful, grounded, and compassionate leader.—
Katie Nixon,
Nashville Tennessean,
3 Nov. 2025
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And while some rentals in the area offer on-site care at fluctuating market rates, as a Continuing Care Retirement Community, The Vi provides compassionate care at a more predictable cost, since those rates are built into a resident’s monthly fees.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Our recipe hails from Mary Ada Marshall, a resident of Smith Island, who was gracious enough to share her recipe.—
Mary Shannon Wells,
Southern Living,
2 Nov. 2025
-
For example, Juliette Binoche was gracious enough to come this year.—
Gavin J Blair,
HollywoodReporter,
30 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Its depictions of dancing devils and witches’ sabbaths are supposed to scare viewers straight, but writer-director Benjamin Christensen is also sympathetic towards the plight of medieval women persecuted for witchcraft.—
Katie Rife,
Entertainment Weekly,
30 Oct. 2025
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Just as soon as cynical Cyrus vacates the passenger seat, Lee finds someone more sympathetic to ride shotgun.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
29 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
After almost getting run over by two cars in heavy rain, a tiny black kitten was saved by a kind stranger who stopped to help him and ended up taking him home.—
Maria Azzurra Volpe,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Oct. 2025
-
During high school, Morgan dates Chris (Scott Eastwood), who is magnetic but inconsiderate, and her sister dates Chris’s best friend, Jonah (Dave Franco), who is shy and kind.—
Katy Waldman,
New Yorker,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
He was thrown from the helicopter into a rainforest, became amnesiac, and was nursed back to health by some kindly locals?—
Sophie Brookover,
Vulture,
24 Oct. 2025
-
How can a kindly, God-fearing, and ascetic novice monk compete against that?—
Karl Ove Knausgaard,
New Yorker,
21 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Crafted from 100% cotton, the fabric delivers the soft stretch and cozy feel of your favorite T-shirt while being gentle on the skin.—
Mariana Best,
Better Homes & Gardens,
31 Oct. 2025
-
For this reason, tweens tend to prefer gifts that are popular or trending, like the viral Sol de Janeiro perfume or a starter skincare routine made with gentle ingredients that won’t stress out their young skin.—
Anja Webb,
Parents,
31 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Merciful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/merciful. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.
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