mercy

noun

mer·​cy ˈmər-sē 

plural mercies

1

a

: compassion or forbearance (see forbearance sense 1) shown especially to an offender or to one subject to one's power

also : lenient or compassionate treatment

begged for mercy

b

: imprisonment rather than death imposed as penalty for first-degree murder

2

a

: a blessing that is an act of divine favor or compassion

May God have mercy on us.

b

: a fortunate circumstance

it was a mercy they found her before she froze

3

: compassionate treatment of those in distress

works of mercy among the poor

mercy adjective

Phrases

at the mercy of

: wholly in the power of : with no way to protect oneself against

Synonyms

• charity
• clemency
• forbearance
• lenience
• leniency
• lenity
• mercifulness
• quarter

Choose the Right Synonym for mercy

mercy, charity, clemency, grace, leniency mean a disposition to show kindness or compassion.

mercy implies compassion that forbears punishing even when justice demands it.

threw himself on the mercy of the court

charity stresses benevolence and goodwill shown in broad understanding and tolerance of others.

show a little charity for the less fortunate

clemency implies a mild or merciful disposition in one having the power or duty of punishing.

the judge refused to show clemency

grace implies a benign attitude and a willingness to grant favors or make concessions.

by the grace of God

leniency implies lack of severity in punishing.

criticized the courts for excessive leniency

Examples of mercy in a Sentence

He is a vicious criminal who deserves no mercy.

She fell to her knees and asked for mercy.

They came on a mission of mercy to provide food and medical care for starving children.

It's a mercy that the building was empty when the fire started.

Thank heaven for small mercies.

Recent Examples on the Web

Gustavsson finally got the mercy pull after two periods (five goals on 26 shots) for Marc-Andre Fleury. —Michael Russo, The Athletic, 13 Dec. 2024

Last year alone, SpaceX and Tesla, the electric vehicle manufacturer, had deals with 17 federal agences—organizations that, as Trump has proposed, are at the mercy of an outside review panel known as the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE. —Philip Elliott, TIME, 12 Dec. 2024

Presidents have often used pardons to temper justice with mercy, even in politically fraught circumstances. —Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 2 Dec. 2024

Yet the story puts us in the mercy seat, the place of empathy and transference of sin. —Armond White, National Review, 22 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French merci, from Medieval Latin merced-, merces, from Latin, price paid, wages, from merc-, merx merchandise

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing mercy

• at someone's or something's mercy
• have mercy
• have mercy/pity
• mercy killing
• mission of mercy
• of mercy
• show no mercy
• take mercy on
• throw oneself on the mercy of (someone)
• to the mercy of

Kids Definition

mercy

noun

mer·​cy ˈmər-sē 

plural mercies

1

a

: kind and gentle treatment of someone (as a wrongdoer or opponent) having no right to it

b

: a disposition to show mercy

2

a

: a blessing as an act of divine love

the mercies of God

b

: a fortunate happening

it's a mercy the weather cooled off

3

: kindness shown to victims of misfortune

works of mercy among the poor

Etymology

Middle English merci, mercy "mercy," from early French merci, mercit (same meaning), from Latin merces "price paid for something, wages, reward"

Word Origin

To the ancient Romans, the Latin word merces meant "price paid for something, wages, reward." The early Christians of Rome used the word in a slightly different way. For them it meant the spiritual reward one receives for doing a kindness in response to an unkindness. The word came into early French as mercit or merci with much the same meaning as was later passed on to our Modern English word mercy. But while mercy in English now has the meaning "kindness or pity shown to someone," the word merci in French has lost much of that meaning and is chiefly used today to mean "thank you."