Mercy — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun /ˈmər-sē/ mer·cy

Meaning & Definition of Mercy

Mercy (noun)

  1. compassion, leniency, or restraint (as in imposing punishment) shown especially to an offender or to one subject to the power of another; also, lenient or compassionate treatment
  2. imprisonment rather than death imposed as penalty for first-degree murder
  3. a blessing that is an act of divine favor or compassion

Mercy (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. kind, gentle, or compassionate treatment especially towards someone who is undeserving of it

    "always show your enemies mercy, because it makes you a better person"

    similar: charity, clemency, forbearance, lenience, leniency, lenity, mercifulness, quarter
    related: humanitarianism, philanthropy, empathy, pity, sympathy, understanding, commiseration, favor, grace, benevolence, care, compassion, gentleness, goodness, goodwill, humaneness, kindliness, kindness, meekness, mildness, niceness, softness, tenderness, altruism, generosity, magnanimity, nobility, affection, devotion, love, worship
    near: hard-heartedness, mercilessness, pitilessness, ruthlessness, uncharitableness, reprisal, requital, retaliation, retribution, revenge, vengeance, venom, vindictiveness, virulence, vitriol, atrocity, barbarity, brutality, cruelty, sadism, savageness, savagery, truculence, viciousness, violence, wantonness, castigation, chastisement, discipline, punishment, scolding, abhorrence, abomination, detestation, execration, hate, hatred, loathing, cattiness, malevolence, malice, maliciousness, malignancy, malignity, meanness, nastiness, spite, spitefulness, spleen, animosity, antagonism, antipathy, bitterness, enmity, gall, grudge, hostility, jealousy, pique, resentment, bile, jaundice, rancor, hatefulness, invidiousness, coarseness, hardness, harshness, roughness

  2. an act of kind assistance

    "did a mercy for the stranded motorist and was richly rewarded"

    similar: benevolence, boon, courtesy, favor, grace, indulgence, kindness, service, turn
    related: dispensation, waiver, advantage, benefit, blessing, godsend, manna, liberty, license, privilege
    near: hindrance, hurdle, impediment, interference, obstacle

  3. the capacity for feeling for another's unhappiness or misfortune

    "a woman of such mercy that she's been known to cry over dead rodents"

    similar: bigheartedness, charity, commiseration, compassion, feeling, good-heartedness, heart, humanity, kindheartedness, kindliness, kindness, largeheartedness, pity, ruth, softheartedness, sympathy, warmheartedness
    related: feelings, responsiveness, sensibility, sensitivity, affection, love, regard, affinity, empathy, rapport, altruism, benevolence, benignancy, benignity, generosity, goodwill, humaneness, humanism, humanitarianism, philanthropy
    opposite: coldheartedness, hard-heartedness, inhumanity, inhumanness, mercilessness, pitilessness
    near: callousness, coldness, disinterest, indifference, unconcern, cruelty, harshness, animosity, antipathy, dislike, hatred, hostility

Related Entry: Mercy killing (noun)

Mercy killing is a different word from Mercy. The synonyms below are for mercy killing, not for mercy.

  1. the act of ending the life of someone who is very sick or injured in order to prevent any further suffering

    "Some called her death a mercy killing."

    similar: assisted suicide, euthanasia, physician-assisted suicide, blood, foul play, homicide, murder, rubout, slaying, chance-medley, killing, manslaughter, bloodshed, butchery, carnage, decimation, destruction, massacre, slaughter, assassination, execution, hit, filicide, fratricide, matricide, parricide, patricide, regicide, uxoricide

Related Entry: Mercy killings (noun)

Mercy killings is a different word from Mercy. The synonyms below are for mercy killings, not for mercy.

  1. the act of ending the life of someone who is very sick or injured in order to prevent any further suffering

    "Some called her death a mercy killing."

    similar: assisted suicides, euthanasias, physician-assisted suicides, blood, foul play, homicides, murders, rubouts, slayings, chance-medleys, killings, manslaughters, bloodsheds, butcheries, carnages, decimations, destructions, massacres, slaughters, assassinations, executions, hits, filicides, fratricides, matricides, parricides, patricides, regicides, uxoricides

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Mercy

The most common words with a similar meaning to Mercy:

charity, clemency, forbearance, lenience, leniency, lenity, mercifulness, quarter, benevolence, boon, courtesy, favor, grace, indulgence, kindness, service, turn, bigheartedness, commiseration, compassion, feeling, good-heartedness, heart, humanity, kindheartedness, kindliness, largeheartedness, pity, ruth, softheartedness, sympathy, warmheartedness

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Mercy

Words with the opposite meaning of Mercy:

coldheartedness, hard-heartedness, inhumanity, inhumanness, mercilessness, pitilessness

Related Words for Mercy

humanitarianism, philanthropy, empathy, understanding, care, gentleness, goodness, goodwill, humaneness, meekness, mildness, niceness, softness, tenderness, altruism, generosity, magnanimity, nobility, affection, devotion, love, worship, dispensation, waiver, advantage, benefit, blessing, godsend, manna, liberty

Near Antonyms of Mercy

ruthlessness, uncharitableness, reprisal, requital, retaliation, retribution, revenge, vengeance, venom, vindictiveness, virulence, vitriol, atrocity, barbarity, brutality, cruelty, sadism, savageness, savagery, truculence, viciousness, violence, wantonness, castigation, chastisement, discipline, punishment, scolding, abhorrence, abomination

Word Forms of Mercy

Inflections: mercies

Derived words: mercy (adjective)

Origin & Etymology of Mercy

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

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Mercy

Words & Phrases Containing Mercy

mercy killing, at the mercy of, to the mercy of, at someone's or something's mercy, have mercy, mission of mercy, of mercy, take mercy on, throw oneself on the mercy of (someone)

Frequently Asked Questions about Mercy

What does "Mercy" mean?

"Mercy" means compassion, leniency, or restraint (as in imposing punishment) shown especially to an offender or to one subject to the power of another; also, lenient or compassionate treatment. As a noun, it is defined as: compassion, leniency, or restraint (as in imposing punishment) shown especially to an offender or to one subject to the power of another; also, lenient or compassionate treatment. It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Mercy"?

Other words for "Mercy" include charity, clemency, forbearance, lenience, leniency, lenity, mercifulness and quarter. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Mercy" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Mercy"?

There are 74 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Mercy". Common alternatives include charity, clemency, forbearance, lenience, leniency, lenity, mercifulness, quarter, benevolence and boon.

What is the opposite of "Mercy"?

Antonyms of "Mercy" include coldheartedness, hard-heartedness, inhumanity, inhumanness, mercilessness and pitilessness. Near antonyms include ruthlessness, uncharitableness, reprisal and requital.

How do you use "Mercy" in a sentence?

Examples of "Mercy" in a sentence: "always show your enemies mercy, because it makes you a better person"; "did a mercy for the stranded motorist and was richly rewarded"; "a woman of such mercy that she's been known to cry over dead rodents".

Is "Mercy" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Mercy" is a noun.

Is "Mercy" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a C1-level word, "Mercy" is typical of Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE), IELTS band 7.0–8.0, TOEFL iBT 95–113, PTE Academic 76–84, TOEIC Listening & Reading 945+. Advanced words like this are also useful for the GRE, SAT, GMAT, and LSAT.

How do you pronounce "Mercy"?

"Mercy" is pronounced /ˈmər-sē/ and divided into syllables as mer·cy.