mercy

mercy — noun

1. kindness or forgiveness that a person with authority shows by choosing not to pu

1.nounB2
Definition

kindness or forgiveness that a person with authority shows by choosing not to punish a wrongdoer as harshly as they could

Example

The judge showed mercy and gave the young driver a shorter sentence than usual.

show mercy — to choose a less harsh punishment

Kemi admitted her mistake, and her manager had mercy on her by not firing her.

have mercy on someone — to forgive instead of punishing

Common collocations
  • show mercy
  • have mercy on
  • beg for mercy
  • cry for mercy
  • plead for mercy
Synonyms
  • compassion

    broader — a feeling of sympathy for suffering, without necessarily having power over the person

  • leniency

    more formal; used in legal or disciplinary settings where punishment is reduced

  • forgiveness

    focuses on letting go of anger rather than on having the power to punish

Antonyms

Usage Note

Frequently used in fixed expressions: 'have mercy on (someone),' 'show mercy (to/toward),' and 'beg/cry for mercy.' Subject is typically a person or institution with authority over someone who has done wrong.

Common Mistakes

The judge had mercy to the prisoner.
The judge had mercy on the prisoner.
use 'on' after 'have mercy,' not 'to.'
I showed mercy for my little brother.
I showed mercy to my little brother.
the correct preposition after 'show mercy' is 'to' or 'toward.'

2. the situation of being totally controlled by a person or force that could harm y

2.nounB2
Definition

the situation of being totally controlled by a person or force that could harm you, without any means of protecting yourself

Example

With no engine power, the fishing boat was at the mercy of the storm.

at the mercy of — completely controlled by a powerful force

Eli felt at the mercy of the illness that kept him in bed for days.

Common collocations
  • at the mercy of
  • left to the mercy of
Synonyms
  • defenceless

    focused on inability to fight back; often physical

  • vulnerable

    broader — can be emotional or physical; does not imply complete loss of control

Antonyms
  • in control

    having the power to decide what happens

  • protected

    sheltered from harm by someone or something else

Usage Note

Almost always appears in the fixed prepositional phrase 'at the mercy of' or its variant 'left to the mercy of.' The subject is someone or something that cannot resist or escape.

Common Mistakes

The children were in the mercy of the teacher.
The children were at the mercy of the teacher.
the fixed phrase uses 'at,' not 'in.'

3. a welcome occurrence that stops a bad situation or gives you a short rest from i

3.nounC1
Definition

a welcome occurrence that stops a bad situation or gives you a short rest from it, so that you feel grateful

Example

After three hours of meetings, the ten-minute coffee break was a welcome mercy.

a mercy — a welcome relief from a difficult situation

When Eli's toothache finally stopped, that moment of quiet was a pure mercy.

Common collocations
  • a mercy
  • a welcome mercy
  • small mercy
  • it's a mercy (that)
Synonyms
  • blessing

    stronger; implies something good was intentionally given

  • relief

    more general; any reduction of unpleasantness, not necessarily an event

Antonyms

Usage Note

Distinguish from sense 1: this sense is countable ('a mercy') and does not involve a person choosing forgiveness. The 'mercy' here is the situation itself, not an act of kindness by someone with authority.

Idioms

at the mercy of

idiom

in a situation where someone or something has complete power over you and you cannot protect yourself from harm

After the earthquake, the town was at the mercy of the freezing winter weather.

Without a map, the hikers were at the mercy of the forest and their own poor sense of direction.

at the mercy of somebody/something

idiom

Unable to avoid harm because someone or something has complete control over you.

The small boat was at the mercy of the storm.

Are we really at the mercy of the landlord's decisions?

be grateful/thankful for small mercies

idiom

To feel happy that a bad situation is not as bad as it could have been.

Maya was grateful for small mercies when she found her lost wallet.

We should be thankful for small mercies that the flight was only delayed.

throw yourself on somebody’s mercy

idiom

To put yourself in a position where you must depend on someone to be kind and not punish you.

After breaking the vase, Diego threw himself on his mother's mercy.

She decided to throw herself on the judge's mercy for a lighter sentence.

Word family

  • merciful
    adjectiveB2
  • merciless
    adjectiveB2
  • mercifully
    adverbB2
  • mercilessly
    adverbB2
  • unmerciful
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

These four words all relate to kindness toward someone who has caused trouble or is suffering, but they apply in different situations. Mercy specifically involves a power difference — you show mercy when you could punish or harm someone but choose not to. Compassion is a broader emotional response: you feel sorry for someone's pain, whether or not you have authority over them. Leniency is a more formal, institutional kind of mercy, common in legal or disciplinary settings where a punishment could have been stricter. Forgiveness means letting go of anger or resentment toward someone who wronged you, and it does not require having power over them. For example, a judge shows mercy by giving a light sentence; a colleague shows compassion by listening to your problems; a teacher shows leniency by accepting a late assignment; and a parent shows forgiveness when a child apologises for lying.

mercy ↗compassion ↗leniencyforgiveness ↗

Common collocations

Phrases

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

Mercy entered English through Old French 'merci,' meaning 'pity' or 'thanks.' The French word came from Latin 'merces,' which originally meant 'reward' or 'wages.' In Christian Latin, 'merces' took on the meaning of 'heavenly reward,' and this idea of a reward for showing kindness shifted into the sense of compassion and forgiveness that we use today.