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"). Cognate with French merci, whence the doublet merci.
Meanings
Expressing surprise or alarm.
Mercy! Look at the state of you!
'Three o'clock if possible,' he replied brazenly. 'Six o'clock in any case.'
Clifton gave a little shriek of young-ladylike dismay.
'Mercy! Today?' she exclaimed. 'Why, you dear creature, do you know—'
'I know what you can do when you like,' he got in. 1927, Ernest Bramah [pseudonym; Ernest Brammah Smith], Max Carrados Mysteries:
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"). Cognate with French merci, whence the doublet merci.
Meanings
(uncountable) Relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another.
She took mercy on him and quit embarrassing him.
(uncountable) Forgiveness or compassion, especially toward those less fortunate.
He despaired of God's mercy in the same fact, where this presumed of it; he by a decollation of all hope annihilated his mercy, this by an immoderancy thereof destroyed his justice 1650, Thomas Browne, Pseudodoxia Epidemica: […], 2nd edition, London: […] A[braham] Miller, for Edw[ard] Dod and Nath[aniel] Ekins, […], →OCLC:
Have mercy on the poor and assist them if you can.
(uncountable) A tendency toward forgiveness, pity, or compassion.
Mercy is one of his many virtues.
(countable) Instances of forbearance or forgiveness.
1982, Bible (NKJV), Psalm 40:11a
Do not withhold Your tender mercies from me, O Lord
(countable) A blessing; something to be thankful for.
It was a mercy that we were not inside when the roof collapsed
(uncountable) A children's game in which two players stand opposite with hands grasped and twist each other's arms until one gives in.
ur رَحْمَت (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · fi armo (instance of forebearance or forgiveness) · ang mildheortnes (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · ga trócaire (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · hu irgalmasság (tendency toward forgiveness) · de Akt der Gnade (instance of forebearance or forgiveness) · hu irgalom (tendency toward forgiveness) · cmn 慈悲 (forgiveness or compassion) · da nåde (forgiveness or compassion) · hi अनुकंपा (forgiveness or compassion) · it misericordia (forgiveness or compassion) · ro iertare (forgiveness or compassion) · ro milă (tendency toward forgiveness) · fi armo (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · fa-ira رَحْم (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · sk milosť (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · hu szánalom (forgiveness or compassion) · ka დანდობა (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · ro compătimire (forgiveness or compassion) · ar لُطْف (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · de Segen (blessing; something to be thankful for) · be мі́ласць (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · cmn 幸運 /幸运 (blessing; something to be thankful for) · gl misericordia (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · pt misericórdia (blessing; something to be thankful for) · hu szánakozás (forgiveness or compassion) · de Gnadenerweis (instance of forebearance or forgiveness) · es misericordia (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · be лі́тасьць (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · ota رحم (forgiveness or compassion) · hi शफकत (forgiveness or compassion) · nl barmhartigheid (tendency toward forgiveness) · fr miséricorde (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · lo ເມດຕາ (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · de Gnade (forgiveness or compassion) · it benevolenza (forgiveness or compassion) · bn রহমত (forgiveness or compassion) · fi sääli (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · mk милост (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · fr pitié (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · ro binecuvântare (blessing; something to be thankful for) · fa-ira رَحْم (forgiveness or compassion) · hu könyörület (forgiveness or compassion) · uk ми́лість (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · es piedad (forgiveness or compassion) · cy trugaredd (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · de Erbarmen (forgiveness or compassion) · tg раҳм (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · lo ກະລຸນາ (forgiveness or compassion) · fi myötätunto (forgiveness or compassion) · ka მოწყალება (forgiveness or compassion) · bg милосъ́рдие (tendency toward forgiveness) · krj kangir-o (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · cy trugaredd (forgiveness or compassion) · tg шафақат (forgiveness or compassion) · nv hojoobaʼ (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · ur شَفْقَت (forgiveness or compassion) · pt misericórdia (tendency toward forgiveness) · hu könyörületesség (tendency toward forgiveness) · fa-ira شَفَقَت (forgiveness or compassion) · uk поща́да (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · uz shafqat (forgiveness or compassion) · de Weichherzigkeit (forgiveness or compassion) · ko 동정 (forgiveness or compassion) · ceb kaluoy (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · hu könyörület (tendency toward forgiveness) · ro îndurare (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · hi करुणा (forgiveness or compassion) · fo náð (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · fi varjelus (blessing; something to be thankful for) · hi करुणा (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · ga trócaire (forgiveness or compassion) · fi onni (blessing; something to be thankful for) · hu könyörület (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · hu kímélet (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · ka შეწყალება (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · hu sajnálat (forgiveness or compassion) · clt duena (forgiveness or compassion) · oc misericòrdia (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · id pinta (forgiveness or compassion) · it compassione (forgiveness or compassion) · az şəfqət (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · ru ми́лость (blessing; something to be thankful for) · pt piedade (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · ur تَرَس (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · arz رحمة (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · tl awa (forgiveness or compassion) · he רַחֲמִים (forgiveness or compassion) · uz shafqat (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · grc ἔλεος (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · uk милосе́рдя (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · fi armeliaisuus (tendency toward forgiveness) · be міласэ́рдзе (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · pt misericórdia (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · hu kegy (forgiveness or compassion) · ru ми́лость (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · cs milosrdenství (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · tg раҳм (forgiveness or compassion) · got 𐌱𐌻𐌴𐌹𐌸𐌴𐌹 (forgiveness or compassion) · de Erbarmen (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · hil kalooy (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · fa-ira رَحْمَت (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · sl milost (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · fi siunaus (blessing; something to be thankful for) · ar رَأْفَة (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · ro iertare (instance of forebearance or forgiveness) · el έλεος (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · ru сострада́ние (forgiveness or compassion) · kk мейірімділік (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · it pena (tendency toward forgiveness) · et arm (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · ko 인정 (forgiveness or compassion) · is miskunn (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · sw huruma (forgiveness or compassion) · hu kegyelem (instance of forebearance or forgiveness) · mi whakaaroha (forgiveness or compassion) · es misericordia (forgiveness or compassion) · sl usmiljenje (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · hi दया (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · nl vergiffenis (forgiveness or compassion) · de Milde (tendency toward forgiveness) · de Huld (forgiveness or compassion) · ru ми́лость (instance of forebearance or forgiveness) · hi शफ़क़त (forgiveness or compassion) · az mərhəmət (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · sv barmhärtighet (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · de Nachsichtigkeit (tendency toward forgiveness) · got 𐌱𐌻𐌴𐌹𐌸𐌴𐌹 (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · ru поща́да (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · hu megbocsátás (instance of forebearance or forgiveness) · cy trugaredd (tendency toward forgiveness) · hu enyheség (tendency toward forgiveness) · sh ми̏ло̄ст (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · eo kompato (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · de Gnadenakt (instance of forebearance or forgiveness) · it commiserazione (tendency toward forgiveness) · ceb kaluoy (forgiveness or compassion) · th เมตตา (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · eo mizerikordo (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · hu megkegyelmezés (instance of forebearance or forgiveness) · de Gottes Gnade (blessing; something to be thankful for) · de Glück (blessing; something to be thankful for) · ur رَحْم (forgiveness or compassion) · hu lágyság (tendency toward forgiveness) · de Nachsicht (forgiveness or compassion) · be мі́ласьць (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · pt misericórdia (forgiveness or compassion) · be міласэ́рнасць (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · de Vergebung (forgiveness or compassion) · cmn 同情 (forgiveness or compassion) · fr miséricorde (tendency toward forgiveness) · zdj rehema (tendency toward forgiveness) · sv nåd (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · he רַחֲמִים (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · ru милосе́рдие (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · sa करुणा (forgiveness or compassion) · nl genade (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · ro indulgență (instance of forebearance or forgiveness) · tg лутф (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · be лі́тасцівасць (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · sh ми̏лоср̄ђе (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · hu öröm (blessing; something to be thankful for) · sw rehema (tendency toward forgiveness) · bg ми́лост (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · hi अनुकंपा (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · ar رَحْمَة (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · da nåde (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · ar شَفَقَة (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · hy ողորմություն (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · it mercede (forgiveness or compassion) · hu szerencse (blessing; something to be thankful for) · it pietà (forgiveness or compassion) · ja 情け (forgiveness or compassion) · de Mitleid (forgiveness or compassion) · ja 情け (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · nb nåde (forgiveness or compassion) · hu irgalom (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · da barmhjertighed (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · cmn 慈悲 (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · sv skonsamhet (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · it compassione (tendency toward forgiveness) · fi armo (forgiveness or compassion) · th กรุณา (forgiveness or compassion) · cs milost (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · tr merhamet (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · bn রহমত (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · ga trócaire (tendency toward forgiveness) · pdt Jaumahoat (forgiveness or compassion) · la misericordia (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · be лі́тасць (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · hu kegyesség (tendency toward forgiveness) · tew iya (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · uz rahm (forgiveness or compassion) · tl awa (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · vi lòng thương (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · be лі́тасцівасьць (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · bg милосъ́рдие (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · nl genade (forgiveness or compassion) · km មេត្តា (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · it misericordia (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · ar شَفَقَة (forgiveness or compassion) · ru милосе́рдие (tendency toward forgiveness) · az rəhm (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · nb nåde (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · et halastus (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · ko 자비 (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · tg шафқат (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · ca misericòrdia (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · ro compasiune (forgiveness or compassion) · ha rahama (forgiveness or compassion) · hu részvét (forgiveness or compassion) · tpi marimari (forgiveness or compassion) · tg шафқат (forgiveness or compassion) · uz lutf (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · de Milde (forgiveness or compassion) · bn করুণা (forgiveness or compassion) · sq mëshirë (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · ar رَحْمَة (forgiveness or compassion) · kk қайырымдылық (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · de Barmherzigkeit (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · de Barmherzigkeit (forgiveness or compassion) · ht mizerikòd (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · sq ndjesë (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · bo སྙིང་རྗེ་ (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · ang mildheortnes (forgiveness or compassion) · fi sääli (forgiveness or compassion) · th ความปรานี (forgiveness or compassion) · ru милосе́рдие (forgiveness or compassion) · sw huruma (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · pl miłosierdzie (tendency toward forgiveness) · nl erbarmen (forgiveness or compassion) · sv nåd (forgiveness or compassion) · sh mȉlosr̄đe (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · non miskunn (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · sh mȉlōst (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · hu bocsánat (instance of forebearance or forgiveness) · hu elnézés (tendency toward forgiveness) · it compatimento (forgiveness or compassion) · nl vergeving (forgiveness or compassion) · ota رحم (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · hu kegyelem (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · fa-ira لُطْف (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · sk milosrdenstvo (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · uga 𐎗𐎈𐎎 (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · ja 恵み (blessing; something to be thankful for) · bg състрада́ние (forgiveness or compassion) · fr miséricorde (forgiveness or compassion) · it pietà (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · es piedad (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · hu irgalom (forgiveness or compassion) · ja 慈悲 (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · ro mizericordie (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · pl litość (forgiveness or compassion) · uz rahm (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · nl barmhartigheid (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · de Gnade (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · sv välsignelse (blessing; something to be thankful for) · tg меҳрубонӣ (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · de Huld (tendency toward forgiveness) · my ကရုဏာ (forgiveness or compassion) · nv hojoobaʼ (tendency toward forgiveness) · ro compătimire (tendency toward forgiveness) · az lütf (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · be міласэ́рнасьць (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · de göttlicher Gnadenerweis (blessing; something to be thankful for) · uz marhamat (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · nv hojoobaʼ (forgiveness or compassion) · sv barmhärtighet (tendency toward forgiveness) · ur رَحْم (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · nb barmhjertighet (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · pl miłosierdzie (relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another) · lb Gnod (forgiveness or compassion) · ka წყალობა (forgiveness or compassion)
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"). Cognate with French merci, whence the doublet merci.
Meanings
To feel mercy
For Prevallet, as for Julian, God's love is a “mercying love” in which we are called to live. 2016, Christine M. Bochen, The Way of Mercy, →ISBN:
In vogue, an age, we are interrupted typics of Universal errors; established adults of vaudeville Street shows — but not quite complete or made whole Neither pitied, nor mercied, nor eldered as one Full disguised and costumed. 1965, Equinox: An Anthology of New Writing from the Philippines:
I despised her; but I mercied her, too, and gave her sweet berries to eat, and led her to my lodge, and said to my best wife, ' Get up from my best skin, for the white squaw is a guest, and is weary.' 1866, Sarah Hammond Palfrey, Herman: Or, Young Knighthood, page 189:
No thank you, I resent being mercied by a thing that is just a^([sic]) imaginary product of suppressive humans who wanna have power over people! 1996 June 4, Adrian Philips, “I think homosexuality destroys the society”, in alt.homosexual (Usenet):
At another time, forgetting "his verse," he attempted part of the Lord's Sermon on the Mount, by repeating, "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall be mercied!" 1867, Henry Mills Alden, Lee Foster Hartman, Frederick Lewis Allen, Harper's Magazine - Volume 34, page 402:
Thus Jesus represents human nature in a third way — not as mercied outsiders like the Magi, nor as a judged insider like Herod. Jesus is New Israel in person, the fulfilled promise wrapped in the life of a single Jewish child. 2004, Frederick Dale Bruner, Matthew: A Commentary - Volume 1, →ISBN, page 73:
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. 2017, The Theological and Ecological Vision of Laudato Si', →ISBN:
There is not a less mercied pair of rogues within the walls of Ireland these days than you both. 1888, Parnellism and Crime: Further evidence as to murders and outrages:
To show mercy; to pardon or treat leniently because of mercy
This was Suttree's trolley token, the one that mercied him, the one that froze him to death. 2010, Peter Josyph, Adventures in Reading Cormac McCarthy, →ISBN, page 23:
'Hah! Good Samaritan indeed! Then why hasn't she mercied me all these years I've been begging for her pepper-soup on credit? 1999, Chuma Nwokolo, African Tales at Jailpoint, page 86:
Remember that kid that kept yelling that his father was mercied?” “Mercied?” - “The kid that kept saying his father was killed? 1963, John Brunner, Listen! The Stars!, page 46:
Getting mercied sucks. And truth be told, mercying another team sucks. 2005, Randy Howe, Softball for Weekend Warriors, →ISBN:
In the middle of the room is a young Infanta intended for Marguerite Theresa, born in 1651, daughter of Philip the fourth, whose portrait Velasquez took in 1658, to send to Leopold, who had just been elected Emperor of Germanyd and who mercied her in 1666. 1833, Etienne Achille Réveil, Museum of Painting and Sculpture: