merciful

[mur-si-fuhl]

adjective

1. full of mercy; characterized by, expressing, or showing mercy; compassionate.

   a merciful God.

   Synonyms: sympathetic, tender, benignant, forgiving, lenient, clement, kind
   Antonyms: relentless, cruel

merciful

/ ˈmɜːsɪfʊl /

adjective

1. showing or giving mercy; compassionate

Other Word Forms

• mercifully adverb
• mercifulness noun
• overmerciful adjective
• overmercifully adverb
• overmercifulness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of merciful¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English; mercy + -ful

Example Sentences

More immediately, the lighthouse is now accessible only by an expensive helicopter ride, if the winds are merciful and it is not shrouded by fog.

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"I was hoping for a quick and merciful death at the hands of the reviewers. I was hoping that maybe somebody might like it well enough to give me some encouragement about it."

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In the fight sequences, Serra rarely cuts away from an opportunity to watch the light leave a bull’s eyes after the death stab, a moment that invariably feels merciful.

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Lukashenko was suddenly keen on looking merciful and several dozen were released.

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After lingering off the coast of Florida hoping for a merciful decision from Washington, the St. Louis and its passengers returned to Europe, where the Nazis were on the march.

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Related Words

• charitable 
• compassionate 
• forgiving 
• gracious 
• humane 
• humanitarian 
• kindly 
• lenient