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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Recent Examples of merciful
Although Ake wants to be merciful, Anisha aided a crime that resulted in the death of a Federation officer.
—
Joe Otterson, Variety, 16 Jan. 2026
And what seemed most probably was a blip ultimately dominoed into the disillusioning 2025 season that will come to a merciful end on Sunday in Las Vegas.
—Kansas City Star, 1 Jan. 2026
This was seen by the founders as a merciful act, stemming from the tradition of old English law.
—Stewart Ulrich, The Conversation, 15 Dec. 2025
Zubac outscored Guangzhou 12-10 in the paint by himself in the first half, and that was with Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue being merciful.
—Law Murray, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for merciful
Joe Otterson, Variety, 16 Jan. 2026
And what seemed most probably was a blip ultimately dominoed into the disillusioning 2025 season that will come to a merciful end on Sunday in Las Vegas.
—Kansas City Star, 1 Jan. 2026
This was seen by the founders as a merciful act, stemming from the tradition of old English law.
—Stewart Ulrich, The Conversation, 15 Dec. 2025
Zubac outscored Guangzhou 12-10 in the paint by himself in the first half, and that was with Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue being merciful.
—Law Murray, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for merciful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for merciful
Adjective
-
Those key warning signs include low patient counts, excessive billing, staff shared across multiple companies, and supposedly terminally ill patients who were later discharged alive.—
Adam Yamaguchi,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Finally, remember to be polite, patient, and persistent.—
Gary Singer,
Sun Sentinel,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
McTeigue created subtle variations on the mask so that V could look slightly more sinister or benevolent depending on the lighting.—
Matthew Huff,
IndieWire,
17 Mar. 2026
-
The primary seller gets to look benevolent, having kept prices low for fans.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
8 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Investing in specialized, age-appropriate behavioral health programming is both compassionate and practical.—
Crystal Hudson,
New York Daily News,
1 Apr. 2026
-
With each conversation, Christina stayed compassionate, caring, and curious about his HS—the three C's Chaz wanted in a partner.—
Health Editorial Team,
Health,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Not a good idea when your intention is to be gracious.—
Judith Martin,
Mercury News,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Bottom-liners had also nixed Gehry’s original design for a more gracious lobby with a cafe out front, not the gloomy one installed against his will.—
Classical Music Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
His sympathetic patter also gives Guirgis an opportunity to start weaving in the character’s politics.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
31 Mar. 2026
-
To the chat-group members, her signature came as a particular disappointment, because she was seen as more sympathetic to their concerns.—
Eyal Press,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
At a balloon release in November 2024 honoring his memory, family members described Williams, who ran his own carpet-cleaning business, as a hardworking, kind, gentle man devoted to his family and faith.—
Caroline Zimmerman,
Kansas City Star,
2 Apr. 2026
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Raised by a relatively kind commander (Nate Corddry) and a flatly evil step-mother (Amy Seimetz), Agnes grew up as privileged as a prisoner can be.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
That’s the epiphany of a marooned American astronaut who thinks he’s been rescued by kindly Martians, only to realize he’s been installed as the newest exhibit in their zoo.—
David Dickstein,
Oc Register,
11 Mar. 2026
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After several years in theater, Duvall got his film break when he was cast as the kindly, misunderstood outsider Boo Radley in the Oscar-winning 1962 adaptation of To Kill a Mockingbird.—
Tim Grierson,
Rolling Stone,
16 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Being gentle with yourself is a form of bravery, so go ahead and indulge your softer side.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Build buffer time, trim one commitment, then return to the itinerary with even gentler expectations and a simpler packing list.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Merciful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/merciful. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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