Merciful

Pronunciation: /ˈmɜrsɪfəl/

Definitions of merciful

adjective showing or exercising mercy; compassionate or forgiving

Example Sentences

A1 The merciful princess saved the kitten from the tree.

A2 The merciful judge decided to reduce the criminal's sentence.

B1 The merciful teacher allowed the student to retake the exam.

B2 The merciful doctor provided free medical treatment to those in need.

C1 The merciful leader pardoned political prisoners and promoted reconciliation.

C2 The merciful philanthropist donated a large sum of money to charity organizations.

Examples of merciful in a Sentence

formal The judge showed a merciful attitude towards the defendant.

informal I'm so grateful that my boss was merciful and didn't fire me.

slang I can't believe he was so merciful after what you did.

figurative The rain was a merciful relief after the long drought.

Grammatical Forms of merciful

• past tense: showed mercy
• plural: mercifuls
• comparative: more merciful
• superlative: most merciful
• present tense: is merciful
• future tense: will be merciful
• perfect tense: has been merciful
• continuous tense: is being merciful
• singular: merciful
• positive degree: merciful
• infinitive: to be merciful
• gerund: being merciful
• participle: merciful

Origin and Evolution of merciful

First Known Use: 1250 year

Language of Origin: Latin

Story behind the word: The word 'merciful' originated from the Latin word 'misericors', which is a combination of 'miser' meaning 'wretched' and 'cor' meaning 'heart'. It conveys the idea of having a compassionate heart towards those in distress.

Evolution of the word: Over time, the word 'merciful' has retained its core meaning of showing compassion and forgiveness towards others in need. Its usage has expanded to encompass a broader sense of kindness and leniency in various contexts.