mercy

/ˈmɜːsi/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈmɜːrsi/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈmər-sē/ (ame, mw)

mercy — noun

  • mercysingular
  • merciesplural

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

1.名詞B2
釋義

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

例句

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

同義詞
  • 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

反義詞

用法筆記

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.

常見錯誤

❌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.名詞B2
釋義

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

例句

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.

同義詞
  • defenceless

    focused on inability to fight back; often physical

  • vulnerable

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

反義詞
  • in control

    having the power to decide what happens

  • protected

    sheltered from harm by someone or something else

用法筆記

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.

常見錯誤

❌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.名詞C1
釋義

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

例句

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.

同義詞
  • blessing

    stronger; implies something good was intentionally given

  • relief

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

反義詞

用法筆記

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.