Adjacent Words

Mercy definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

MER'CY, n. [L. misericordia.]
1. That benevolence, mildness or tenderness of heart which disposes a person to overlook injuries, or to treat an offender better than he deserves; the disposition that tempers justice, and induces an injured person to forgive trespasses and injuries, and to forbear punishment, or inflict less than law or justice will warrant. In this sense, there is perhaps no word in our language precisely synonymous with mercy. That which comes nearest to it is grace. It implies benevolence, tenderness, mildness, pity or compassion, and clemency, but exercised only towards offenders. Mercy is a distinguishing attribute of the Supreme Being.
The Lord is long-suffering and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty. Numbers 14.
2. An act or exercise of mercy or favor. It is a mercy that they escaped.
I am not worthy of the least of all thy mercies. Genesis 32.
3. Pity; compassion manifested towards a person in distress.
And he said, he that showed mercy on him. Luke 10.
4. Clemency and bounty.
Mercy and truth preserve the king; and his throne is upheld by mercy. Proverbs 28.
5. Charity, or the duties of charity and benevolence.
I will have mercy and not sacrifice. Matthew 9.
6. Grace; favor. 1 Corinthians 7. Jude 2.
7. Eternal life, the fruit of mercy. 2 Timothy 1.
8. Pardon.
I cry thee mercy with all my heart.
9. The act of sparing, or the forbearance of a violent act expected. The prisoner cried for mercy.
To be or to lie at the mercy of, to have no means of self-defense, but to be dependent for safety on the mercy or compassion of another, or in the power of that which is irresistible; as, to be at the mercy of a foe, or of the waves.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: leniency and compassion shown toward offenders by a person or agency charged with administering justice; "he threw himself on the mercy of the court" [syn: clemency, mercifulness, mercy]
2: a disposition to be kind and forgiving; "in those days a wife had to depend on the mercifulness of her husband" [syn: mercifulness, mercy] [ant: mercilessness, unmercifulness]
3: the feeling that motivates compassion [syn: mercifulness, mercy]
4: something for which to be thankful; "it was a mercy we got out alive"
5: alleviation of distress; showing great kindness toward the distressed; "distributing food and clothing to the flood victims was an act of mercy"

Merriam Webster's

noun (plural mercies) Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French merci, from Medieval Latin merced-, merces, from Latin, price paid, wages, from merc-, merx merchandise Date: 13th century 1. a. compassion or forbearance 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 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: mercy, charity, clemency, grace, leniency mean a disposition to show kindness or compassion. mercy implies compassion that forbears punishing even when justice demands it <threw himself on the mercy of the court>. charity stresses benevolence and goodwill shown in broad understanding and tolerance of others <show a little charity for the less fortunate>. clemency implies a mild or merciful disposition in one having the power or duty of punishing <the judge refused to show clemency>. grace implies a benign attitude and a willingness to grant favors or make concessions <by the grace of God>. leniency implies lack of severity in punishing <criticized the courts for excessive leniency>.

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. & int. --n. (pl. -ies) 1 compassion or forbearance shown to enemies or offenders in one's power. 2 the quality of compassion. 3 an act of mercy. 4 (attrib.) administered or performed out of mercy or pity for a suffering person (mercy killing). 5 something to be thankful for (small mercies). --int. expressing surprise or fear. Phrases and idioms: at the mercy of 1 wholly in the power of. 2 liable to danger or harm from. have mercy on (or upon) show mercy to. mercy flight the transporting by air of an injured or sick person from a remote area to a hospital. Etymology: ME f. OF merci f. L merces -edis reward, in LL pity, thanks

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Mercy Mer"cy, n.; pl. Mercies. [OE. merci, F. merci, L. merces, mercedis, hire, pay, reward, LL., equiv. to misericordia pity, mercy. L. merces is prob? akin to merere to deserve, acquire. See Merit, and cf. Amerce.] 1. Forbearance to inflict harm under circumstances of provocation, when one has the power to inflict it; compassionate treatment of an offender or adversary; clemency. Examples of justice must be made for terror to some; examples of mercy for comfort to others. --Bacon. 2. Compassionate treatment of the unfortunate and helpless; sometimes, favor, beneficence. --Luke x. 37. 3. Disposition to exercise compassion or favor; pity; compassion; willingness to spare or to help. In whom mercy lacketh and is not founden. --Sir T. Elyot. 4. A blessing regarded as a manifestation of compassion or favor. The Father of mercies and the God of all comfort. --2 Cor. i. 3. Mercy seat (Bib.), the golden cover or lid of the Ark of the Covenant. See Ark, 2. Sisters of Mercy (R. C. Ch.),a religious order founded in Dublin in the year 1827. Communities of the same name have since been established in various American cities. The duties of those belonging to the order are, to attend lying-in hospitals, to superintend the education of girls, and protect decent women out of employment, to visit prisoners and the sick, and to attend persons condemned to death. To be at the mercy of, to be wholly in the power of. Syn: See Grace.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(mercies) 1. If someone in authority shows mercy, they choose not to harm someone they have power over, or they forgive someone they have the right to punish. Neither side took prisoners or showed any mercy... They cried for mercy but their pleas were met with abuse and laughter... N-UNCOUNT 2. Mercy is used to describe a special journey to help someone in great need, such as people who are sick or made homeless by war. (JOURNALISM) She vanished nine months ago while on a mercy mission to West Africa... ADJ: ADJ n 3. If you refer to an event or situation as a mercy, you mean that it makes you feel happy or relieved, usually because it stops something unpleasant happening. It really was a mercy that he'd died so rapidly at the end... N-COUNT: usu a N 4. If one person or thing is at the mercy of another, the first person or thing is in a situation where they cannot prevent themselves being harmed or affected by the second. Buildings are left to decay at the mercy of vandals and the weather... PHRASE: with poss, usu PHR after v, v-link PHR 5. If you tell someone who is in an unpleasant situation that they should be grateful or thankful for small mercies, you mean that although their situation is bad, it could be even worse, and so they should be happy. But so low has morale sunk that the team and the fans would have been grateful for small mercies. PHRASE: usu v-link PHR

Easton's Bible Dictionary

compassion for the miserable. Its object is misery. By the atoning sacrifice of Christ a way is open for the exercise of mercy towards the sons of men, in harmony with the demands of truth and righteousness (Gen. 19:19; Ex. 20:6; 34:6, 7; Ps. 85:10; 86:15, 16). In Christ mercy and truth meet together. Mercy is also a Christian grace (Matt. 5:7; 18:33-35).

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. 1. Clemency, lenity, lenience, leniency, compassion, pity, tenderness, kindness, mildness, gentleness, benevolence. 2. Blessing, providential favor. 3. Pity, compassion, grace. 4. Discretion, disposal. 5. Pardon, forgiveness.

Moby Thesaurus

acceptance, act of grace, act of kindness, benefaction, beneficence, benefit, benevolence, benignancy, benignity, blessing, caritas, charity, clemency, clementness, commiseration, compassion, condolence, consideration, courtesy, easiness, easygoingness, favor, feeling, forbearance, forbearing, forgiveness, generosity, gentleness, good deed, good offices, good turn, goodwill, grace, graciousness, humaneness, humanity, indulgence, kind deed, kind offices, kindliness, kindly act, kindness, labor of love, laxness, lenience, leniency, lenientness, lenity, liberality, magnanimity, mercifulness, mildness, mitigation, mitzvah, moderateness, obligation, office, pardon, pathos, patience, pity, quarter, relief, reprieve, ruth, self-pity, service, softness, sympathy, tenderness, thoughtfulness, tolerance, turn