merciful

adjective

Definition of mercifulnext
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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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of merciful Impermanence turns out to be the cruelest fact and the most merciful one at once. — Dr. Lucy McBride, Time, 8 Aug. 2026 That painful night in Dallas now feels merciful, compared with what this Avs team just experienced. — Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 27 May 2026 As the sun began to peek over the hillside, offering a merciful burst of warmth, Alonso Abugattas called this year’s Trillium Trek to order. — Ashley Stimpson, Washington Post, 11 May 2026 Would a just and merciful God approve of what is happening? — Kenneth Seeskin, Chicago Tribune, 11 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for merciful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for merciful
  1. patient
  2. benevolent
  3. compassionate
  4. gracious
  5. sympathetic
  6. kind
  7. kindly
  8. gentle
Adjective
  • As more telehealth sites prescribe these medications and pitch them as a way to lose weight while saving money, some patient advocates argue that more people like Kinkade will fall through the cracks of a broken regulatory system.
    — Alana Semuels, Time, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Its return to the market was initially accompanied by strict requirements for blood monitoring to ensure patient safety.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of patient
Adjective
  • Larger-than-life Halloween celebrations rise up every October like the Great Pumpkin (or a benevolent spooky spirit or two) to captivate visitors with parades, caramel apples, costume contests, and more.
    — Michelle Mastro, Midwest Living, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Promotional images and films conjured a playful, adaptable and benevolent house — plastic as the building block of family happiness.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of benevolent
Adjective
  • Perinatal palliative care is an important and compassionate option.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Rodriguez described her daughter as kind, compassionate and full of life.
    — Lisa Hagen, Hartford Courant, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of compassionate
Adjective
  • Overcast Milan was looking even grayer than I’d have liked, but I was heartened by a gracious welcome at the Park Hyatt, tucked away on a side street of the Piazza del Duomo.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Korchinski hasn’t gotten that gracious nod, at least during Blashill’s tenure.
    — Kalen Lumpkins, Chicago Tribune, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of gracious
Adjective
  • The misery of the situation could feel overwhelming, even cruel, but Cahyono’s observation of Sumiati’s struggles is humane and sympathetic.
    — Kambole Campbell, Variety, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Mills, sympathetic to conspiratorial beliefs about the 2020 election and hailed by some election skeptics as a champion of voting integrity, has long clashed with members, squabbling over his power.
    — Caleb Groves, AJC.com, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of sympathetic
Adjective
  • The five years between home playoff games were not kind to fans of the South Siders.
    — Rohan Nadkarni, NBC news, 7 Oct. 2026
  • For her performance as Thelma, the kind young stranger who shares a bus trip with the elderly woman returning to her long-ago home in Bountiful, Saint won the 1954 Outer Critics Circle Special Award.
    — Greg Evans, Deadline, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of kind
Adjective
  • Mia, the kindly next-door neighbor, and her daughter, Noora (Henrikke Lund-Olsen), who bonds with Elia at school.
    — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Graise knows just what to do with a role like Philip, who is seen as kindly and self-sufficient but insecure and treated unjustly by the community.
    — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of kindly
Adjective
  • This one, steeped in milk and cream, sparks off the roof of your mouth with a gentle chile burn and the pleasantly numbing zap of cloves.
    — Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2026
  • The American Medical Association recommends chin tucks, gentle neck rotations and half-neck circles during the day.
    — Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of gentle

Browse Nearby Words

mercies
merciful
mercifully
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Cite this Entry

“Merciful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/merciful. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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