1
as in mercifulness
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
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2
as in kindness
an act of kind assistance
did a mercy for the stranded motorist and was richly rewarded
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3
as in sympathy
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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of mercy
Until then, the city remains at the mercy of the weather.
—
Jordan King, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025
The actor plays Oz on High Potential, a detective who found himself at the mercy of a serial killer at the end of season 1.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Sep. 2025
Renowned legal journalist Jeffrey Toobin will be the keynote, offering perspective on justice, mercy, and the complexities of the legal system.
—Walter Pavlo, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
Rather than let his boy be torn apart by terrible creatures in the mist, David uses a gun to mercy-kill them all and screams in anguish because there isn't a bullet left for him.
—James Grebey, Time, 12 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mercy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mercy
Noun
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Friedman will never forget the kindness Blake and Bubba showed to her and The Dude that evening.—
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With Sparkle for a Cause, Alexis turns fitness into a festival of kindness, proving that squats and planks can lift more than muscles.—
Noun
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There is some sympathy for Potter among the players that this situation is not all his fault.—
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Kneeling was widely used by protesters and supporters after Floyd’s death to signal sympathy with the Black Lives Matter movement and a call for racial justice.—
Noun
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There’s compassion, empathy, shame.—
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Jobs that require empathy, accountability and physical human presence will remain protected.—
Noun
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Please give us grace during this time.—
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Not everyone will meet truth with grace, but some will.—
Noun
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The red agate worn by his mother reflects silent compassion, and the pearl accents on the Wulu pendant evoke the gentle passage of time.—
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Maria Montessori knew that childhood offers a unique opportunity to nurture a new generationthat is ready to take on the challenges of their time with curiosity, compassion, and conviction.—
Noun
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Rombough, who was described by Wenger’s former lawyer as the most violent of the three, took a plea deal and became a government witness with the hope of leniency.—
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In the lead-up to Monday’s hearing – held three days before Martinez’s 68th birthday – defense lawyers filed motions arguing for leniency based partly on what a doctor said was a dangerous heart condition worsened by stress.—
Noun
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At least four people were killed and eight were injured after a gunman attacked a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints service in Michigan on Sunday morning, police said.—
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At least four people were killed and eight injured when a gunman in a pickup truck smashed through the doors of a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints chapel in Michigan during a Sunday service attended by hundreds, opened fire and set the building ablaze.—
Noun
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Stay Active, Stay Connected Ave Maria Town Center is the picturesque heart of the community and was designed to inspire connection and support an active lifestyle.—
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If ingested in large enough quantities, this plant also can cause heart rhythm abnormalities, seizures and death.—
Cite this Entry
“Mercy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mercy. Accessed 30 Sep. 2025.
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