Dictionary

merciless en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈmɜːsɪləs/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˈmɝsɪləs/ (General-American)

Etymology

From Middle English merciles, mercyles, equivalent to mercy + -less.

Meanings

1. Showing no mercy; cruel and pitiless.
   • The sun is merciless today, so please take care of yourself. 1995, HAL Laboratory, EarthBound, Nintendo, Super Nintendo Entertainment System:
   • But the ruthless cleaning up of those streets and merciless treatment of gang members have triggered outrage and concern among human rights organizations, which have condemned Cecot as inhumane and unacceptable. 2024 November 6, David Culver, Abel Alvarado, Evelio Contreras and Rachel Clarke, “Exclusive: Locking eyes with mass murderers in El Salvador”, in CNN:

Forms

Antonyms

merciful

Deriveds

unmerciless · mercilessness · mercilessly

Synonyms

unmerciful · barbarous · cruel · ruthless · compassionless · rotten · unpitiful · nasty · pitiless · savage · spiteful · brutal · diabolical · cruel · diabolic · ruthless · flagitious · inhuman · incessive · unpitying · inhumane · remorseless · demonic · unmerciful · nonhumane · merciless · unkind · sadistic · pitiless · truculent · unbenign · fell · malicious · inclement · despiteful · unbenevolent · bowelless

Translations (51)

ru беспоща́дный (showing no mercy; cruel and pitiless) · hi निर्दयी (showing no mercy; cruel and pitiless) · lt negailestingas (showing no mercy; cruel and pitiless) · hi क्रूर (showing no mercy; cruel and pitiless) · cs nemilosrdný (showing no mercy; cruel and pitiless) · pl bezwzględny (showing no mercy; cruel and pitiless) · ru безжа́лостный (showing no mercy; cruel and pitiless) · ca despietat (showing no mercy; cruel and pitiless) · ja 容赦ない (showing no mercy; cruel and pitiless) · uk безжалісний (showing no mercy; cruel and pitiless) · hu kegyetlen (showing no mercy; cruel and pitiless) · la immisericors (showing no mercy; cruel and pitiless) · ga éadrócaireach (showing no mercy; cruel and pitiless) · ko 무자비하다 (showing no mercy; cruel and pitiless) · nb nådeløs (showing no mercy; cruel and pitiless) · cmn 無情 /无情 (showing no mercy; cruel and pitiless) · hi निष्ठुर (showing no mercy; cruel and pitiless) · tr acımasız (showing no mercy; cruel and pitiless) · pl bezlitosny (showing no mercy; cruel and pitiless) · pl bezpardonowy (showing no mercy; cruel and pitiless) · sv skoningslös (showing no mercy; cruel and pitiless) · fi armoton (showing no mercy; cruel and pitiless) · id sadis (showing no mercy; cruel and pitiless) · pt imisericordioso (showing no mercy; cruel and pitiless) · grc ἀνελεήμων (showing no mercy; cruel and pitiless) · gd mì-chneasta (showing no mercy; cruel and pitiless) · ja 無慈悲 (showing no mercy; cruel and pitiless) · el αλύπητος (showing no mercy; cruel and pitiless) · nn nådelaus (showing no mercy; cruel and pitiless) · pt impiedoso (showing no mercy; cruel and pitiless) · bg безмилостен (showing no mercy; cruel and pitiless) · hu könyörtelen (showing no mercy; cruel and pitiless) · da nådesløs (showing no mercy; cruel and pitiless) · ga neamhthrócaireach (showing no mercy; cruel and pitiless) · it crudele (showing no mercy; cruel and pitiless) · uk безжальний (showing no mercy; cruel and pitiless) · de gnadenlos (showing no mercy; cruel and pitiless) · uk немилосе́рдний (showing no mercy; cruel and pitiless) · fi säälimätön (showing no mercy; cruel and pitiless) · es inmisericorde (showing no mercy; cruel and pitiless) · fr impitoyable (showing no mercy; cruel and pitiless) · nl genadeloos (showing no mercy; cruel and pitiless) · uk безпощадний (showing no mercy; cruel and pitiless) · ota دینسز (showing no mercy; cruel and pitiless) · it spietato (showing no mercy; cruel and pitiless) · cmn 殘忍 /残忍 (showing no mercy; cruel and pitiless) · grc ἄσπλαγχνος (showing no mercy; cruel and pitiless) · sv obarmhärtig (showing no mercy; cruel and pitiless) · pl niemiłosierny (showing no mercy; cruel and pitiless) · tl walang awa (showing no mercy; cruel and pitiless) · hi निर्दय (showing no mercy; cruel and pitiless)