merciful

UK:*UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/ˈmɜːrsɪfʊl/US:USA pronunciation: IPA and respellingUSA pronunciation: IPA/ˈmɝsɪfəl/ ,USA pronunciation: respelling(mûr′si fəl)


WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
mer•ci•ful /ˈmɜrsɪfəl/USA pronunciation   adj. 
    1. showing mercy to another:a merciful judge.
    2. fortunate:a merciful release from the pain.
    mer•ci•ful•ly, adv. : It was mercifully quiet.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
mer•ci•ful  (mûr′si fəl),USA pronunciation adj. 
  1. full of mercy;
    characterized by, expressing, or showing mercy;
    compassionate:a merciful God.
  • 1250–1300; Middle English; see mercy, -ful
mer′ci•ful•ly, adv. 
mer′ci•ful•ness, n. 
    kind, clement, lenient, forgiving, benignant, tender, sympathetic.
    cruel, relentless.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
merciful / ˈmɜːsɪfʊl/
  1. showing or giving mercy; compassionate
ˈmercifulness
'merciful' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
Beatitude - Miles - clement - forgiving - gentle - gracious - grateful - heart - humane - inclement - inexorable - pitiless - relentless - sparing - te igitur - tender - unmerciful

Forum discussions with the word(s) "merciful" in the title:


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