Meaning & use
merciful
Last updated
showing kindness or forgiveness toward someone within one's power to punish; compassionate.
See it in a sentence
The judge was merciful and reduced the sentence given the defendant's age.
It was a merciful end to a long illness.
A note on using this word
Often used in the phrase a merciful death or a merciful end to describe relief from suffering, not just leniency toward wrongdoing.
Words with a similar meaning
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “merciful”, then compare your use with the examples above.
Your draft stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.