mercy
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
kindness or forgiveness shown to someone who has done something wrong or who you have the power to punish.
compassion or forbearance shown toward an offender or an adversary who is within one's power to punish or harm.
Simple“The prisoner begged the judge for mercy during the trial.”
In context“The king showed mercy to the rebels, choosing to exile them rather than carry out the death sentences originally decreed.”
UsageOften used with the verbs 'show', 'grant', or 'beg for'.
Synonyms - 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
something good or lucky that happens, especially when things are otherwise difficult.
a fortunate circumstance or a blessing for which one is grateful, often in the context of a larger misfortune.
Simple“It was a mercy that no one was hurt in the car accident.”
In context“After a week of intense heat, the sudden rain was a small mercy that allowed the farmers to save their remaining crops.”
Antonyms
“He had unsuccessfully appealed for mercy, saying he was remorseful and had struggled all his life from mental illness.”
“A Northern Ontario man turned himself over to the mercy of the courts after attacking his girlfriend with a sword.”
From mercy in the 17th century; one of the less common Puritan virtue names. In modern use sometimes used to anglicize Spanish Mercedes.
Borrowed from French Mercy.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.