Definitions for mercy
ˈmɜr simer·cy

Princeton's WordNet(4.00 / 8 votes)Rate this definition:

1. clemency, mercifulness, mercy(noun)

   leniency and compassion shown toward offenders by a person or agency charged with administering justice

   "he threw himself on the mercy of the court"

2. mercifulness, mercy(noun)

   a disposition to be kind and forgiving

   "in those days a wife had to depend on the mercifulness of her husband"

3. mercifulness, mercy(noun)

   the feeling that motivates compassion

4. mercy(noun)

   something for which to be thankful

   "it was a mercy we got out alive"

5. mercy(noun)

   alleviation of distress; showing great kindness toward the distressed

   "distributing food and clothing to the flood victims was an act of mercy"

Wiktionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. mercy(Noun)

   relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another

   She took mercy on him and quit embarrassing him.

   Etymology: From merci, from merci (compare merci, mercit), from mercedem, accusative of merces, from merx. Displaced native Middle English are, ore "mercy" (from Old English ar "mercy, grace"), Middle English mildse "mercy, clemency" (from Old English milds, milts "mercy, kindness").

2. mercy(Noun)

   forgiveness or compassion, especially toward those less fortunate.

   Have mercy on the poor and assist them if you can.

   Etymology: From merci, from merci (compare merci, mercit), from mercedem, accusative of merces, from merx. Displaced native Middle English are, ore "mercy" (from Old English ar "mercy, grace"), Middle English mildse "mercy, clemency" (from Old English milds, milts "mercy, kindness").

3. mercy(Noun)

   A tendency toward forgiveness, pity, or compassion

   Mercy is one of his many virtues.

   Etymology: From merci, from merci (compare merci, mercit), from mercedem, accusative of merces, from merx. Displaced native Middle English are, ore "mercy" (from Old English ar "mercy, grace"), Middle English mildse "mercy, clemency" (from Old English milds, milts "mercy, kindness").

4. mercy(Noun)

   Instances of forbearance or forgiveness.

   Psalms 40:11 Do not withhold Your tender mercies from me, O Lord

   Etymology: From merci, from merci (compare merci, mercit), from mercedem, accusative of merces, from merx. Displaced native Middle English are, ore "mercy" (from Old English ar "mercy, grace"), Middle English mildse "mercy, clemency" (from Old English milds, milts "mercy, kindness").

5. mercy(Noun)

   A blessing, something to be thankful for.

   It was a mercy that we were not inside when the roof collapsed

   Etymology: From merci, from merci (compare merci, mercit), from mercedem, accusative of merces, from merx. Displaced native Middle English are, ore "mercy" (from Old English ar "mercy, grace"), Middle English mildse "mercy, clemency" (from Old English milds, milts "mercy, kindness").

6. Mercy(ProperNoun)

   A female given name from English, one of the less common Puritan virtue names.

   Mr Pecksniff was a moral man — a grave man, a man of noble sentiments and speech — and he had had her christened Mercy. Mercy! oh, what a charming name for such a pure–souled Being as the youngest Miss Pecksniff! Her sister’s name was Charity. There was a good thing! Mercy and Charity!

Webster Dictionary(2.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. Mercy(noun)

   forbearance to inflict harm under circumstances of provocation, when one has the power to inflict it; compassionate treatment of an offender or adversary; clemency

2. Mercy(noun)

   compassionate treatment of the unfortunate and helpless; sometimes, favor, beneficence

3. Mercy(noun)

   disposition to exercise compassion or favor; pity; compassion; willingness to spare or to help

4. Mercy(noun)

   a blessing regarded as a manifestation of compassion or favor

Freebase(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Mercy

   Mercy is a broad term that refers to benevolence, forgiveness and kindness in a variety of ethical, religious, social and legal contexts. The concept of a "Merciful God" appears in various religions, including Christianity, Judaism and Islam. Performing acts of mercy as a component of religious beliefs is also emphasized through actions such as the giving of alms, and care for the sick and Works of Mercy. In the social and legal context, mercy may refer both to compassionate behavior on the part of those in power, or on the part of a humanitarian third party, e.g., a mission of mercy aiming to treat war victims.

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Mercy

   mėr′si, n. tenderness and forbearance shown in sparing an offender in one's power: a forgiving disposition: clemency: an act of mercy: an undeserved blessing: compassion or benevolence.—adjs. Mer′ciable (Spens.), merciful; Mer′ciful, full of, or exercising, mercy.—adv. Mer′cifully.—n. Mer′cifulness.—v.t. Mer′cify (Spens.), to deal mercifully with, to pity.—adj. Mer′ciless, without mercy: unfeeling: cruel.—adv. Mer′cilessly.—ns. Mer′cilessness, want of mercy; Mer′cy-seat, the seat or place of mercy; the covering of the Jewish Ark of the Covenant: the throne of God.—At the mercy of (another), wholly in the power of; For mercy! or For mercy's sake! an exclamatory appeal to pity; Great mercy=Gramercy; Sisters of mercy, members of female religious communities who tend the sick, &c. [Fr. merci, grace—L. merces, mercedis, pay, in later L. also 'favour.']

The Roycroft Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. mercy

   1. The charity of tyrants. 2. The forgiveness of one scoundrel by another. 3. The culmination of the Will-to-Power and its final apotheosis. 4. A quality which, like soup, the more it is strained the less soup and the more water you have. 5. In war a universal mode of subjugating a people.

Suggested Resources(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. mercy

   Song lyrics by mercy -- Explore a large variety of song lyrics performed by mercy on the Lyrics.com website.

British National Corpus

1. Nouns Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'mercy' in Nouns Frequency: #2756

How to pronounce mercy?

1. 

   Alex

   US English

   

   Daniel

   British

   

   Karen

   Australian

   

   Veena

   Indian

How to say mercy in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of mercy in Chaldean Numerology is: 6

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of mercy in Pythagorean Numerology is: 1

Examples of mercy in a Sentence

1. Scott Shellenberger:

   The governor should not be using his last days in office to show any mercy to these cold, calculating murderers.

2. Taylor Townsend:

   You guys are going to laugh at this, lord have mercy. We were in New York, and the guy walked outside and he greeted us and he had no shoes on.

3. Abdullah Noman:

   The problem isn't in selecting a new president ... but it's tied to the militias' control of the capital and on decision-making, so any new president will be at the mercy of these militias who are still holding Hadi, the prime minister and a number of officials under house arrest.

4. John Gay:

   Cowards are cruel, but the brave Love mercy, and delight to save.

5. Ali Khamenei:

   The faster these cases are considered, the better and those who are suspected of being close to any group should be dealt with in a way that is closer to Islamic mercy.

Images & Illustrations of mercy

Popularity rank by frequency of use