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.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The family, who are growing increasingly concerned for their health, are now appealing to the Iranian authorities to show mercy, and set them free.
From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026
Until we understand that, we will always be at their mercy.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 9, 2026
“You’re kind of at the mercy of the customer-service department,” said Jackie Mondelli, chief marketing officer at Squaremouth, a travel-insurance comparison business.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 9, 2026
I speculate that Martha Jefferson’s death was in Thomas’s mind when, in the “Notes,” he mentioned “those numberless afflictions, which render it doubtful whether heaven has given life to us in mercy or in wrath.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026
Warbeak, who was his favorite niece, called out to her uncle, appealing for mercy.
From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques
“Some people are still treating themselves at home,” said Rose Tchwenko, Mercy Corps’ country director for Congo, “because of the fear of treatment centers and stigma outweighing trust in the response.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 16, 2026
While discussing God, Ed would quote Michael Himes, “There is nothing we can do to make God not love us,” and the Trappist monk Thomas Merton, “Mercy, within Mercy, within Mercy.”
From Los Angeles Times ● May 28, 2026
Last year, 1,552 babies across all Mercy hospitals didn’t get the injection.
From Salon ● May 7, 2026
Mercy Ships describes itself as a faith-based international development organisation which deploys hospital ships to some of the poorest countries in the world.
From BBC ● Apr. 14, 2026
Letting his hands fall to his sides, Reed drew the Lady of Mercy.
From "The Reader" by Traci Chee
Let us at least give thanks for small mercies.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 29, 2026
Suzanna’s problems include the apparent near-insolvency of her father upon his death—possibly jeopardizing her studies in psychology—and the untender mercies of her mother, Susan, played with delectable evil-queen imperiousness by Linda Emond.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 7, 2026
Through a combination of luck, lawyering and above all the mercies of the U.S.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 30, 2024
In this story, the long national nightmare is finally wrapping up, thanks to the tender if belated mercies of criminal statutes, sentencing guidelines, grand jurors, and knowable facts.
From Slate ● Jun. 13, 2023
And, mercy of all mercies, there was a range, slumbering but alight, and above it a rack of warming towels, hanging there to dry after having been washed.
From "The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage" by Philip Pullman
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.
