merciful

adjective

Definition of mercifulnext
as in patient
showing kindness and forgiveness instead of harshness or cruelty especially to someone under one's authority or control When our English teacher caught us cheating, we prayed he would be merciful in deciding our punishment.

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of merciful The miserable 2024-25 New York Giants season came to a merciful end with a 20-13 loss to the division rival Philadelphia Eagles. — Charlotte Carroll, The Athletic, 5 Jan. 2025 That, however, was the merciful end to the Flyers’ comeback bid as the B’s somehow survived the onslaught for the win. — Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 16 Mar. 2024 And the Bills routed the Jets, 40-14, to inch New York one game closer to a merciful end for a miserable season. — Zak Keefer, The Athletic, 30 Dec. 2024 Eventually, the company will miss an earnings target or announce an earnings warning, and, as recent history has shown, the market will not be merciful in its reaction. — Charles Rotblut, Forbes, 18 Dec. 2024 See All Example Sentences for merciful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for merciful
  1. patient
  2. benevolent
  3. compassionate
  4. sympathetic
  5. gracious
  6. kind
  7. kindly
  8. gentle
Adjective
  • Such figures are not surprising to those closely observing how AI is transforming medical workflows, enhancing diagnostic accuracy and improving patient outcomes.
    — Paul Kovalenko, Forbes, 11 Mar. 2025
  • For its lead program in Friedreich ataxia (FA), the company has observed promising preclinical results, including restoration of frataxin (FXN) levels in patient cells and animal models.
    — Quartz Intelligence Newsroom, Quartz, 10 Mar. 2025
Definition of patient
Adjective
  • The benevolent master of ceremonies left a care kit beneath each audience member's seat for the nearly four-hour show.
    — Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 3 Mar. 2025
  • In Thai Buddhist lore, these trees, thousands of which spike Koh Samui, are home to benevolent spirits, says political scientist Pavin Chachavalpongpun, from the Center for Southeast Asian Studies at Japan’s Kyoto University.
    — Ronan O'Connell, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Feb. 2025
Definition of benevolent
Adjective
  • Beyond his incredible work as an actor, Mason is a genuinely kind and compassionate individual who fosters a spirit of acceptance and collaboration in our theatre program.
    — Heide Janssen, Orange County Register, 16 Mar. 2025
  • Be calm, be compassionate, be creative, be careful.
    — Donna Vickroy, Chicago Tribune, 14 Mar. 2025
Definition of compassionate
Adjective
  • Some also noted the irony of an act that is perceived to be sympathetic to neo-Nazism to be playing a hall honoring U.S. Veterans.
    — Jim Harrington, The Mercury News, 7 Mar. 2025
  • After Roya appeals to a sympathetic American journalist to write about their plight, the story becomes an international media sensation.
    — Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, 5 Mar. 2025
Definition of sympathetic
Adjective
  • The Los Angeles Dodgers’ Ohtani is back in Japan and that puts an even bigger grin on these gracious locals.
    — Jay Paris, Forbes, 15 Mar. 2025
  • There's a little sprinkled throughout, but these all-stars are by and large gracious and amiable.
    — Randall Colburn, EW.com, 13 Mar. 2025
Definition of gracious
Adjective
  • Don Johnson is sending kind words to his longtime friend Bruce Willis.
    — Jen Juneau, People.com, 7 Mar. 2025
  • For Fall, the collection, the designer looked towards romance, marked by a softness of silhouettes, sheer layered fabrics and floral motifs in response to the world, currently viewed as crueler than kind.
    — Roxanne Robinson, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2025
Definition of kind
Adjective
  • The cast includes Stephen Merchant as the voice of the mouse, Kristen Wiig as a scenery-chewing evil aunt, and Jim Broadbent as a kindly but clueless king.
    — EW.com, EW.com, 20 Dec. 2024
  • In his fourth feature, director Hsiao Ya-Chuan follows the unsentimental education of a motherless 11-year-old boy, Liao Jie (Bai Run-yin), raised in poverty by his kindly father, Liao Tai-lai (Liu Kuan-Ting), a waiter at a busy banqueting hall.
    — Alissa Simon, Variety, 25 Nov. 2024
Definition of kindly
Adjective
  • The group was equally adept with dancefloor fodder and gentle ballads.
    — Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 7 Mar. 2025
  • These exercises can help mitigate the effects Going for a walk is one of the gentlest and healthiest forms of exercise, Gjergja said.
    — Melanie Radzicki McManus, CNN, 7 Mar. 2025
Definition of gentle

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Cite this Entry

“Merciful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/merciful. Accessed 21 Mar. 2025.

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