merciless

[ mur-si-lis ]
/ ˈmɜr sɪ lɪs /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR merciless ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

without mercy; having or showing no mercy; pitiless; cruel: a merciless critic.

QUIZZES

CAN YOU FEEL THE WEAL WITH THIS WORD OF THE DAY QUIZ?

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weal
well-being, prosperity, or happiness.
the intervening time.
a somewhat prolonged, sharp, shrill cry, as of pain, fear, or surprise.
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Origin of merciless

First recorded in 1300–50, merciless is from the Middle English word mercyles. See mercy, -less

OTHER WORDS FROM merciless

mer·ci·less·ly, adverbmer·ci·less·ness, noun

Words nearby merciless

mercian, mercier, mercier's bar, merciful, mercifully, merciless, merckx, mercosur, mercouri, mercurate, mercurial
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to mercilessness

brutality, inhumanity, depravity, malice, barbarity, persecution, barbarism, ferocity, severity, savagery, torture, bestiality, rancor, despotism, sadism, wickedness, spite, animality, fierceness, venom

Example sentences from the Web for mercilessness

British Dictionary definitions for mercilessness

merciless
/ (ˈmɜːsɪlɪs) /

adjective

without mercy; pitiless, cruel, or heartless

Derived forms of merciless

mercilessly, adverbmercilessness, 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