merciful

adjective

Definition of mercifulnext
as in patient
showing kindness and forgiveness instead of harshness or cruelty especially to someone under one's authority or control When our English teacher caught us cheating, we prayed he would be merciful in deciding our punishment.

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of merciful Impermanence turns out to be the cruelest fact and the most merciful one at once. — Dr. Lucy McBride, Time, 8 Aug. 2026 That painful night in Dallas now feels merciful, compared with what this Avs team just experienced. — Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 27 May 2026 As the sun began to peek over the hillside, offering a merciful burst of warmth, Alonso Abugattas called this year’s Trillium Trek to order. — Ashley Stimpson, Washington Post, 11 May 2026 Would a just and merciful God approve of what is happening? — Kenneth Seeskin, Chicago Tribune, 11 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for merciful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for merciful
  1. patient
  2. benevolent
  3. compassionate
  4. gracious
  5. sympathetic
  6. kind
  7. kindly
  8. gentle
Adjective
  • Star Ratings overhaul and new marketing rules CMS is executing a structural overhaul of its Star Ratings program for 2027, removing 11 administrative metrics to focus on clinical quality, health outcomes, and patient experience.
    — Cindy Krischer Goodman, Sun Sentinel, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Two of Kariem’s former students described him as joyful, patient and an inspiration.
    — Karina Tsui, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of patient
Adjective
  • Larger-than-life Halloween celebrations rise up every October like the Great Pumpkin (or a benevolent spooky spirit or two) to captivate visitors with parades, caramel apples, costume contests, and more.
    — Michelle Mastro, Midwest Living, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Promotional images and films conjured a playful, adaptable and benevolent house — plastic as the building block of family happiness.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of benevolent
Adjective
  • The far left's open borders policy was not fair or compassionate.
    — WCCO Staff, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Judges could sometimes consider changes to the law when deciding whether to grant compassionate release to inmates who had served at least 10 years.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of compassionate
Adjective
  • No Camas coach would talk (although one, along with a school administrator, was gracious to me), and the boy's mother wouldn't acknowledge my presence Saturday.
    — Matt Calkins OutKick, FOXNews.com, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Overcast Milan was looking even grayer than I’d have liked, but I was heartened by a gracious welcome at the Park Hyatt, tucked away on a side street of the Piazza del Duomo.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of gracious
Adjective
  • The misery of the situation could feel overwhelming, even cruel, but Cahyono’s observation of Sumiati’s struggles is humane and sympathetic.
    — Kambole Campbell, Variety, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Mills, sympathetic to conspiratorial beliefs about the 2020 election and hailed by some election skeptics as a champion of voting integrity, has long clashed with members, squabbling over his power.
    — Caleb Groves, AJC.com, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of sympathetic
Adjective
  • The world has lost one of its brightest lights and kindest souls.
    — Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Please be kind and respectful of other customers lined up for gas.
    — Ticked Off, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of kind
Adjective
  • Mia, the kindly next-door neighbor, and her daughter, Noora (Henrikke Lund-Olsen), who bonds with Elia at school.
    — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Graise knows just what to do with a role like Philip, who is seen as kindly and self-sufficient but insecure and treated unjustly by the community.
    — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of kindly
Adjective
  • The duo launches alongside a tapered blending brush designed for gentle, precise application on the delicate skin under your eyes.
    — Maggie Ryan, Flow Space, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Those stories are so gentle and yet so compelling, and the artwork is so beautiful and inviting.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of gentle

Browse Nearby Words

mercies
merciful
mercifully
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Cite this Entry

“Merciful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/merciful. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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