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Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary mer·cy \\ˈmər-sē\\ noun (plural mercies) ETYMOLOGY Middle English, from Anglo-French merci, from Medieval Latin merced-, merces, from Latin, price paid, wages, from merc-, merx merchandise DATE 13th century 1. a. compassion or forbearance shown especially to an offender or to one subject to one's power; also : lenient or compassionate treatment begged for mercy b. imprisonment rather than death imposed as penalty for first-degree murder 2. a. a blessing that is an act of divine favor or compassion b. a fortunate circumstance it was a mercy they found her before she froze 3. compassionate treatment of those in distress works of mercy among the poor • mercy adjective • • • - at the mercy of Synonyms. mercy , charity , clemency , grace , leniency mean a disposition to show kindness or compassion. mercy implies compassion that forbears punishing even when justice demands it threw himself on the mercy of the court charity stresses benevolence and goodwill shown in broad understanding and tolerance of others show a little charity for the less fortunate clemency implies a mild or merciful disposition in one having the power or duty of punishing the judge refused to show clemency grace implies a benign attitude and a willingness to grant favors or make concessions by the grace of God leniency implies lack of severity in punishing criticized the courts for excessive leniency English Etymology mercy late 12c., "God's forgiveness of his creatures' offenses," from O.Fr . mercit, merci "reward, gift, kindness," from L. mercedem(nom. merces) "reward, wages, hire" (in V.L. "favor, pity"), from merx (gen. mercis) "wares, merchandise." In Church L. (6c.) applied to the heavenly reward of those who show kindness to the helpless. Meaning "disposition to forgive or show compassion" is attested from early 13c. As an interjection, attested from mid-13c.In French largely superseded by miséricorde except as a word of thanks. Seat of mercy "golden covering of the Ark of the Covenant" (1530) is Tyndale's loan-translation of Luther's gnadenstuhl, an inexact rendering of Heb. kapporeth, lit."propitiatory."http://O.Fr Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary-牛津双解-OALD7 mercy mercy / 5mE:si; NAmE 5mE:rsi / noun(pl. -ies) 1. [U] a kind or forgiving attitude towards sb that you have the power to harm or right to punish 仁慈；宽恕 SYN humanity :
to ask / beg / plead for mercy 请求/乞求/祈求宽恕 They showed no mercy to their hostages. 他们对人质丝毫不讲仁慈。 God have mercy on us. 上帝怜悯我们吧。 The troops are on a mercy mission (= a journey to help people) in the war zone. 部队出发救助战地民众。 2. [C, usually sing.] (informal) an event or a situation to be grateful for, usually because it stops sth unpleasant 幸运；恩惠: It's a mercy she wasn't seriously hurt. 幸运的是她伤势不重。 ⇨ see also merciful , merciless IDIOMS ▪ at the mercy of sb / sth not able to stop sb / sth harming you because they have power or control over you 任…处置；对…无能为力；任由…摆布: I'm not going to put myself at the mercy of the bank. 我不想任由银行摆布。 We were at the mercy of the weather. 我们受制于天气。 ▪ leave sb / sth to the mercy / mercies of sb / sth to leave sb / sth in a situation that may cause them to suffer or to be treated badly 听任某人可能受到虐待(而无能为力) ▪ throw yourself on sb's mercy (formal) to put yourself in a situation where you must rely on sb to be kind to you and not harm or punish you 指望某人能够善待(或宽恕)你 ⇨ more at small adj. Oxford Collocations Dictionary for Students of English mercy noun ADJ. divine, infinite God's infinite mercy VERB + MERCY ask for, beg for, plead for, scream for | have, show (sb) God have mercy on us! They showed no mercy to their captives. MERCY + NOUN dash, flight, mission Aid agencies are making mercy flights into the flood region. | killing PREP. at the ~ of We're at the mercy of the weather. | without ~ The terrorists are completely without mercy. OLT mercy noun ⇨ mercy Webster's Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged mer·cy \ˈmərsē, ˈmə̄s-, ˈməis-, -si\ noun (-es) Etymology: Middle English merci, mercy, from Old French mercit, merci, from Medieval Latin merced-, merces, from Latin, price paid for something, wages, reward, recompense, from merc-, merx ware, merchandise — more at market 1. a. : compassion or forbearance shown to an offender or subject :clemency or kindness extended to someone instead of strictness or severity : leniency < the illusion of omniscience … brings endless inhumanity when it leads us to shut the gates of mercy — M.R.Cohen > especially : the mercy of God to man < showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments — Exod 20:6 (Authorized Version) > b. : a sentence of imprisonment rather than of death imposed in clemency on a person convicted of first-degree murder 2. a. : a blessing regarded as an act of divine favor or compassion < seemed oblivious of all the many mercies of his daily life > b. : a fortunate event or circumstance < the more open ground was a mercy — Fred Majdalany > 3. : relief of distress : compassion shown to victims of misfortune < seek ways of performing acts of kindness and mercy abroad — Vera M. Dean > Synonyms: clemency , lenity , charity , grace : mercy , a word of much emotional force and hence one applicable to extreme situations, indicates a kindly refraining from inflicting punishment or pain, often a refraining brought about by genuinely felt compassion and sympathy, or a general disposition toward these latter characteristics < earthly power doth then show likest God's when mercy season justice — Shakespeare > < the quality of brutality was not isolated in the Japanese, nor was the quality of mercy unknown to them — Agnes N. Keith > clemency , a less emotionally colored word, indicates a tendency to be mild and compassionate, to administer or direct moderate punishment or treatment rather than drastically severe < clemency … is the standing policy of constitutional governments, as severity is of despotism — Henry Hallam > < Cicero had prophesied so positively that Caesar would throw off the mask of clemency … that he was disappointed to find him persevere in the same gentleness — J.A.Froude > lenity may suggest absence of severity, may connote a clemency uninterrupted and unvaried and verging onto softness and careless leniency < whether this indulgence comes from the wisdom and lenity of the government — Tobias Smollett > < not to be expected that they would show much lenity to one … regarded as the chief of the Rye House Plot — T.B.Macaulay > charity indicates clemency of judgment, a disposition to judge mildly or tolerantly < marriage had begun where it so often ends happily, in charity of mind — Ellen Glasgow > In other, more common uses it suggests a benevolent good will arising from a feeling of love of others < with malice toward none, with charity for all — Abraham Lincoln > In older usage grace may combine the associations of clemency and charity < his eyes upraised to sue for grace — William Wordsworth > • - at the mercy of |
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