mercy

/'mə:si/

Thân thiện

The judge showed mercy to the defendant.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • Compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one's power to punish or harm: "Mercy" refers to kindness, pity, or a willingness to spare someone from suffering or punishment.
   • An event or situation to be grateful for, especially because it prevents something unpleasant: "Mercy" can also mean a fortunate occurrence that brings relief from distress.
   • (In a judicial context) Leniency or compassion shown by an authority to someone who has committed an offense.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • The judge showed mercy to the first-time offender. (The judge demonstrated leniency.)
  • They prayed for mercy as the storm approached. (They prayed for compassionate relief.)
  • It was a mercy that the power came back on during the heatwave. (The return of power was a fortunate relief.)

Advanced Usage

• "to be at the mercy of (someone/something)": to be in a situation where one is entirely powerless against someone or something; to be completely controlled by.
  • The small boat was at the mercy of the raging sea.
• "to throw oneself on/upon the mercy of (someone/court)": to plead for leniency or compassion from an authority, admitting one's fault.
  • The defendant threw himself on the mercy of the court.
• "to have mercy on (someone)": to show compassion or forgiveness to someone.
  • Please, have mercy on us!

Variants and Related Words

• Merciful (adj): showing or exercising mercy; compassionate.
  • The merciful king pardoned the prisoners.
• Merciless (adj): showing no mercy; cruel.
  • The merciless critic tore apart the young author's work.
• Mercifulness (n): the quality or state of being merciful.

Synonyms

• Clemency: (formal) leniency and mercy, especially in the administration of justice.
• Compassion: sympathetic pity and concern for the sufferings or misfortunes of others.
• Leniency: the fact or quality of being more merciful or tolerant than expected.
• Grace: (especially in Christian theology) the free and unmerited favor of God, often associated with mercy.

Related Phrases

• "Mercy killing": (a compound term, listed here as a related concept) euthanasia; the act of killing someone painlessly to relieve suffering from an incurable disease.
• "Sister of Mercy": (a compound term) a member of a religious order, especially the Roman Catholic Order of Our Lady of Mercy, dedicated to serving the sick and poor.

Idioms

• "For mercy's sake!": An exclamation pleading for compassion or expressing exasperation.
  • For mercy's sake, stop making that noise!
• "Leave someone to the tender mercies of (someone)": (often ironic) to leave someone in the care of someone who is likely to be harsh or unsympathetic.
  • The new intern was left to the tender mercies of the stern department head.

Học thuật

Noun

1. alleviation of distress; showing great kindness toward the distressed
   • distributing food and clothing to the flood victims was an act of mercy
2. something for which to be thankful
   • it was a mercy we got out alive
3. the feeling that motivates compassion
4. a disposition to be kind and forgiving
   • in those days a wife had to depend on the mercifulness of her husband
5. leniency and compassion shown toward offenders by a person or agency charged with administering justice
   • he threw himself on the mercy of the court

Từ đồng nghĩa

• mercifulness
• clemency