What does "mercy" mean?
Relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another.
Mercy
/ˈmɜːsi/ intj, name, noun, verb
intj, name, noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another.
- Grammar: mercy is listed as intj, name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: clemency, acceptance, act of grace, act of kindness.
- Useful contrasts: cruel act, italian disciplina, the discipline.
- Usage evidence: The yacht was at the mercy of the dreadful storm.
How to use "mercy"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "mercy" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "mercy" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "mercy" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "mercy" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "mercy" is acting as intj, name, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "clemency" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "mercy", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another. uncountable
"She took mercy on him and quit embarrassing him."
- 2 leniency and compassion shown toward offenders by a person or agency charged with administering justice wordnet
- 3 Forgiveness or compassion, especially toward those less fortunate. uncountable
"Have mercy on the poor and assist them if you can."
- 4 alleviation of distress; showing great kindness toward the distressed wordnet
- 5 A tendency toward forgiveness, pity, or compassion. uncountable
"Mercy is one of his many virtues."
Show 6 more definitions
- 6 a disposition to be kind and forgiving wordnet
- 7 Instances of forbearance or forgiveness. countable
"1982, Bible (NKJV), Psalm 40:11a Do not withhold Your tender mercies from me, O Lord"
- 8 the feeling that motivates compassion wordnet
- 9 A blessing; something to be thankful for. countable
"It was a mercy that we were not inside when the roof collapsed"
- 10 something for which to be thankful wordnet
- 11 A children's game in which two players stand opposite with hands grasped and twist each other's arms until one gives in. uncountable
Verb
- 1 To feel mercy
"I despised her; but I mercied her, too, and gave her sweet berries to eat, and led her to my lodge, and said to my best wife, ' Get up from my best skin, for the white squaw is a guest, and is weary.'"
- 2 To show mercy; to pardon or treat leniently because of mercy
"In the middle of the room is a young Infanta intended for Marguerite Theresa, born in 1651, daughter of Philip the fourth, whose portrait Velasquez took in 1658, to send to Leopold, who had just been elected Emperor of Germanyd and who mercied her in 1666."
Intj
- 1 Expressing surprise or alarm.
"Mercy! Look at the state of you!"
Proper Noun
- 1 A female given name from English.
"Mr Pecksniff was a moral man — a grave man, a man of noble sentiments and speech — and he had had her christened Mercy. Mercy! oh, what a charming name for such a pure–souled Being as the youngest Miss Pecksniff! Her sister’s name was Charity. There was a good thing! Mercy and Charity!"
- 2 A surname from French.
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
cruel actitalian disciplinathe disciplineacts of cruelty
Example
"The yacht was at the mercy of the dreadful storm."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "mercy"?
Common synonyms include: clemency, acceptance, act of grace, act of kindness, alas, benefaction.
How do you use "mercy" in a sentence?
The yacht was at the mercy of the dreadful storm.
How do you pronounce "mercy"?
Pronounced /ˈmɜːsi/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English mercy, merci, from Anglo-Norman merci (compare continental Old French merci, mercit), from Latin mercēs (“wages, fee, price”), from merx (“wares, merchandise”). Displaced native Old English mildheortnes (literally "mildheartedness"). Cognate with French merci, whence the doublet merci.
Etymology 2
From mercy in the 17th century; one of the less common Puritan virtue names. In modern use sometimes used to anglicize Spanish Mercedes.
Etymology 3
Borrowed from French Mercy.