mercy
//ˈmɜːsi//
Forms
- Plural
- mercies
- present (v1)
- mercy
- past (v2)
- mercied
- past participle (v3)
- mercied
- present participle
- mercying
- 3rd person singular
- mercies
Definitions
1.Relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another.
- She took mercy on him and quit embarrassing him.
2.Forgiveness or compassion, especially toward those less fortunate.
- Have mercy on the poor and assist them if you can.
3.A tendency toward forgiveness, pity, or compassion.
- Mercy is one of his many virtues.
4.Instances of forbearance or forgiveness.
- Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.
1.Expressing surprise or alarm.
- Mercy! Look at the state of you!
1.To feel mercy
- For Prevallet, as for Julian, God's love is a “mercying love” in which we are called to live.
- There is not a less mercied pair of rogues within the walls of Ireland these days than you both.
- Jesus's gaze is “mercying”; he looks upon people and things with a love that sees the fullness of what they are and might be.
2.To show mercy; to pardon or treat leniently because of mercy
- Getting mercied sucks. And truth be told, mercying another team sucks.
- This was Suttree's trolley token, the one that mercied him, the one that froze him to death.
- 'Hah! Good Samaritan indeed! Then why hasn't she mercied me all these years I've been begging for her pepper-soup on credit?
Frequency
Overall
Rare· #4307
By learning goal
- Everyday conversation
- Rare
- General reading & writing
- Rare
- Academic
- Rare
- Literature
- Rare
Etymology
From Middle English mercy, merci, from Anglo-Norman merci (compare continental Old French merci, mercit), from Latin mercēs (“wages, fee, price”), from merx (“wares, merchandise”).
Displaced native Old English mildheortnes (literally "mildheartedness").