merciless
/ˈmɜːsɪləs/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈmɜːrsɪləs/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈmər-si-ləs/ (ame, mw)
merciless — adjective
- mercilesspositive
- more mercilesscomparative
- most mercilesssuperlative
1. treating someone very harshly or cruelly, with no kindness or pity at all — for
treating someone very harshly or cruelly, with no kindness or pity at all — for example, a ruler who punishes people without caring about their suffering, or a critic who attacks someone's work with no softness or sympathy
The warlord was merciless toward captured soldiers, offering no medical care or food.
be merciless toward + person/group
Mei-Lin found her new manager merciless — he made her rewrite every report three times.
find [someone] + merciless
The village endured a merciless drought that dried up every well and river.
Critics were merciless toward the young actor's first film, calling it a complete failure.
- ruthless
emphasizes a cold determination to get what you want, without caring who gets hurt; often used for business or politics
- pitiless
very close in meaning; stresses the complete absence of sympathy or compassion
- cruel
broader term; can describe deliberate enjoyment of others' pain or simply causing suffering
- heartless
more informal; suggests a lack of normal human feeling or caring
- merciful
showing kindness and forgiveness, especially toward someone you could punish
- compassionate
actively caring about others' suffering and wanting to help
- lenient
less strict or severe than expected, especially with rules or punishments
用法筆記
Can describe both people who deliberately cause suffering (a merciless dictator) and impersonal forces that cause hardship (a merciless sun, merciless budget cuts). Subject is a person, group, or natural force; the object of the harsh treatment is often introduced by toward or to.