merciless

adjective

mer·​ci·​less ˈmər-si-ləs How to pronounce merciless (audio)
: having or showing no mercy : pitiless
the merciless killing of innocent people
mercilessly adverb
mercilessness noun

Examples of merciless in a Sentence

the merciless killing of innocent people He has been merciless in his criticism of his opponent.
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Their idea involved merciless kills, a chainsaw, a group of youths and a homicidal family with a craving for human flesh; all set against the backdrop of a sunny, countryside day giving way to a nightmarish evening. Sydney Bishop, CNN, 31 Oct. 2024 For most of them, the rigors of fighting on the eastern front only increased the value of fighting a merciless war—Hitler's war. Nina Turner, Newsweek, 29 Oct. 2024 The killing of the drone operators inspired a merciless Ukrainian counterattack that has inflicted heavy casualties on the Russian unit responsible for the murders, the 155th Naval Infantry Brigade. David Axe, Forbes, 24 Oct. 2024 The results are plain to see: the most just war in Israel’s history is seen by many around the world as brutal and merciless, an unfair battle between an Israeli Goliath and a Palestinian David. Ari Shavit, Foreign Affairs, 5 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for merciless 

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of merciless was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near merciless

Cite this Entry

“Merciless.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/merciless. Accessed 16 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

merciless

adjective
mer·​ci·​less ˈmər-si-ləs How to pronounce merciless (audio)
: having no mercy : pitiless
merciless slaughter
mercilessly adverb
mercilessness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on merciless

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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