compassionate or kindly forbearance shown toward an offender, an enemy, or other person in one's power; compassion, pity, or benevolence.
Have mercy on the poor sinner.
the disposition to be compassionate or forbearing.
an adversary wholly without mercy.
the discretionary power of a judge to pardon someone or to mitigate punishment, especially to send to prison rather than invoke the death penalty.
an act of kindness, compassion, or favor.
She has performed countless small mercies for her friends and neighbors.
something that gives evidence of divine favor; blessing.
It was just a mercy we had our seat belts on when it happened.
compassionate treatment of or attitude towards an offender, adversary, etc, who is in one's power or care; clemency; pity
the power to show mercy
to throw oneself on someone's mercy
a relieving or welcome occurrence or state of affairs
his death was a mercy after weeks of pain
in the power of
First recorded in 1125–75; Middle English merci, from Old French, earlier mercit, from Latin mercēd-, stem of mercēs “wages” ( Late Latin, Medieval Latin: “heavenly reward”), derivative of merc-, stem of merx “commodity, goods, merchandise”
Compassion leads you to have mercy, which is like forgiveness. If you have mercy on someone, you let them off the hook or are kind to them somehow. This is a quality that has to do with compassion, forgiveness, and leniency. If convicted of a crime, you might plead for the judge's mercy, meaning a lesser punishment. When people say "May God have mercy on me!" they're asking for forgiveness. Mercy may be given or received. You might show your little cousin mercy by not forcing him to eat a worm. People jokingly say a bad singer is showing mercy if she ends the show early.
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam addressed Iran's leaders in frank terms during a press conference, saying: "Have mercy on our south, stop treating it and its people as merely a bargaining chip."
From Barron's • Jun. 6, 2026
Carson 12, Granada Hills 1: The Colts were so dominant that it took only five innings to win the City Section Open Division championship via the 10-run mercy rule at Legacy High.
From Los Angeles Times • May 30, 2026
The majority decision also imposes new requirements on compassionate release, which was designed to show mercy to prisoners and to provide a “safety valve” for unjust sentences.
From Slate • May 29, 2026
However, he said his crop was "at the mercy of the weather".
From BBC • May 27, 2026
A lesser cat might have begged for mercy, but all I showed them was my scorn!
From "Klawde: Evil Alien Warlord Cat" by Johnny Marciano and Emily Chenoweth
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.
