definitions

merciful

[ mur-si-fuhl ]
/ ˈmɜr sɪ fəl /
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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR merciful ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

full of mercy; characterized by, expressing, or showing mercy; compassionate: a merciful God.

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RELATED WORDS

humanitarian, kindly, compassionate, charitable, lenient, forgiving, humane, gracious, beneficent, benign, clement, easygoing, feeling, forbearing, generous, gentle, indulgent, liberal, mild, pitiful

Nearby words

merci beaucoup, mercia, mercian, mercier, mercier's bar, merciful, mercifully, merciless, merckx, mercosur, mercouri

Origin of merciful

Middle English word dating back to 1250–1300; see origin at mercy, -ful

Related forms

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for merciful

British Dictionary definitions for merciful

merciful

/ (ˈmɜːsɪfʊl) /

adjective

showing or giving mercy; compassionate

Derived Forms

mercifulness, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012