Meaning & use

mercy

noun·Everyday

Kindness or forgiveness shown toward someone who could rightfully be punished or treated harshly.

See it in a sentence

The judge showed mercy and reduced the young offender's sentence.

They begged the soldiers for mercy as the city fell.

A note on using this word

Often paired with 'show' or 'beg for,' as in 'showed mercy' or 'begged for mercy.'

Words with a similar meaning

compassionleniencyclemency

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 “mercy”, then compare your use with the examples above.

Your draft stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.