plural mercies
1
a
: compassion or forbearance (see forbearance sense 1) shown especially to an offender or to one subject to one's power
also
: lenient or compassionate treatment
begged for mercy
b
: imprisonment rather than death imposed as penalty for first-degree murder
2
a
: a blessing that is an act of divine favor or compassion
May God have mercy on us.
b
: a fortunate circumstance
it was a mercy they found her before she froze
3
: compassionate treatment of those in distress
works of mercy among the poor
mercy
adjective
Synonyms
Examples of mercy in a Sentence
He is a vicious criminal who deserves no mercy.
She fell to her knees and asked for mercy.
They came on a mission of mercy to provide food and medical care for starving children.
It's a mercy that the building was empty when the fire started.
Thank heaven for small mercies.
Recent Examples on the Web
Trump has insisted his tariffs would create jobs at home and emancipate the U.S. from being at the mercy of foreign manufacturing.
—
Eric Cortellessa, TIME, 5 Nov. 2024
Athletes could now profit from their own brands, and the women were no longer merely at the mercy of the N.C.A.A.’s neglect.
—Louisa Thomas, The New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2024
Americans are at the mercy of Congress, and no one knows yet how Congress will be divided politically until after the election next week.
—Medora Lee, USA TODAY, 2 Nov. 2024
To a large extent, this is out of management’s control and at the mercy of energy prices.
—CNBC, 1 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for mercy 
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Eric Cortellessa, TIME, 5 Nov. 2024
Athletes could now profit from their own brands, and the women were no longer merely at the mercy of the N.C.A.A.’s neglect.
—Louisa Thomas, The New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2024
Americans are at the mercy of Congress, and no one knows yet how Congress will be divided politically until after the election next week.
—Medora Lee, USA TODAY, 2 Nov. 2024
To a large extent, this is out of management’s control and at the mercy of energy prices.
—CNBC, 1 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for mercy
Dictionary Entries Near mercy
Cite this Entry
“Mercy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mercy. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
mercy
noun
mer·cy
ˈmər-sē 
plural mercies
1
a
: kind and gentle treatment of someone (as a wrongdoer or opponent) having no right to it
b
: a disposition to show mercy
2
a
: a blessing as an act of divine love
the mercies of God
b
: a fortunate happening
it's a mercy the weather cooled off
3
: kindness shown to victims of misfortune
works of mercy among the poor
Etymology
Middle English merci, mercy "mercy," from early French merci, mercit (same meaning), from Latin merces "price paid for something, wages, reward"
Word Origin
To the ancient Romans, the Latin word merces meant "price paid for something, wages, reward." The early Christians of Rome used the word in a slightly different way. For them it meant the spiritual reward one receives for doing a kindness in response to an unkindness. The word came into early French as mercit or merci with much the same meaning as was later passed on to our Modern English word mercy. But while mercy in English now has the meaning "kindness or pity shown to someone," the word merci in French has lost much of that meaning and is chiefly used today to mean "thank you."
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