merciful
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
- mercifully adverb
- mercifulness noun
- overmerciful adjective
- overmercifully adverb
- overmercifulness noun
Etymology
Origin of merciful
Explanation
Use the adjective merciful to describe someone who has compassion for other people, especially when he is in a position to punish them or treat them harshly. If you're caught cheating on a math test, your best hope is that your teacher will be merciful, or that she will forgive you for what you've done. Forgiving someone or relieving a person's pain are both merciful acts. The word merciful also has religious connotations which come from the root word mercy, used since the 12th century to mean "God's forgiveness of his creatures' offenses." The origin is the Old French merci, "pity or thanks."
Vocabulary lists containing merciful
Power Suffix: -ful
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Positive Words to Describe a Person
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Lee's General Order No. 9: A Farewell Address
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In America, Presbyterians preached salvation from sin through the grace of a merciful God.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 11, 2026
But this was a thorough demolition, Maye completing 19 of 21 passes for 256 yards, five touchdowns and a near-perfect 157 passer rating before a merciful Vrabel yanked him in the third quarter.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 29, 2025
Lukashenko was suddenly keen on looking merciful and several dozen were released.
From BBC • Jun. 30, 2025
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.
From Los Angeles Times • May 19, 2025
She grabbed her things and burst out the door into the merciful dusk.
From "Chasing Vermeer" by Blue Balliett
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
