Definition of mercy

mercynoun

nhân từ

/ˈmɜːsi//ˈmɜːrsi/

The word "mercy" originated from the Old French word "merci," which meant "grace" or "thankfulness." It was a translation of the Latin word "misericordia," which had the same meaning. In medieval times, "mercy" was often associated with Christian virtues like kindness, forgiveness, and compassion. It was contrasted with the opposite virtues of justice and punishing, as mercy was seen as a compassionate and lenient act towards those who had committed wrongs. Over time, the meaning of "mercy" evolved to include other concepts, such as relief or compassionate treatment towards those who are suffering or in need. In modern usage, "mercy" often refers to acts of kindness, understanding, or forgiveness towards those who are less fortunate or who have made mistakes. In sum, the word "mercy" evolved from its medieval origin of "grace" to a more comprehensive concept of relief, kindness, and compassion towards those in need. These meanings are still prevalent today, making "mercy" an important word that represents many valuable virtues.

namespace

a kind or forgiving attitude towards somebody that you have the power to harm or right to punish

một thái độ tử tế hoặc tha thứ đối với ai đó mà bạn có quyền làm hại hoặc có quyền trừng phạt

Example:
  • to ask/beg/plead for mercy

    cầu xin/cầu xin/cầu xin lòng thương xót

  • They showed no mercy to their hostages.

    Họ không hề tỏ ra thương xót với con tin của mình.

  • God have mercy on us.

    Thiên Chúa thương xót chúng tôi.

  • The troops are on a mercy mission (= a journey to help people) in the war zone.

    Quân đội đang thực hiện sứ mệnh thương xót (= hành trình giúp đỡ mọi người) trong vùng chiến sự.

Extra examples:
  • God's infinite mercy

    Lòng thương xót vô hạn của Thiên Chúa

  • He asked for mercy for the crimes he had committed.

    Anh cầu xin sự thương xót cho những tội ác anh đã gây ra.

  • The prisoners begged for mercy.

    Các tù nhân cầu xin lòng thương xót.

  • The terrorists are completely without mercy.

    Những kẻ khủng bố hoàn toàn không có lòng thương xót.

  • There shall be no mercy for my enemies.

    Sẽ không có lòng thương xót cho kẻ thù của tôi.

Related words and phrases

an event or a situation to be grateful for, usually because it stops something unpleasant

một sự kiện hoặc một tình huống đáng để biết ơn, thường là vì nó ngăn chặn điều gì đó khó chịu

Example:
  • It's a mercy she wasn't seriously hurt.

    Thật may là cô ấy không bị thương nặng.

  • His death was a mercy (= because he was in great pain).

    Cái chết của anh ấy là một sự thương xót (= vì anh ấy đang rất đau đớn).

Related words and phrases

Idioms

at the mercy of somebody/something
not able to stop somebody/something harming you because they have power or control over you
  • I'm not going to put myself at the mercy of the bank.
  • We were at the mercy of the weather.
    • be grateful/thankful for small mercies
    to be happy that a situation that is bad is not as bad as it could have been
  • Well, at least you weren't hurt. I suppose we should be grateful for small mercies.
    • leave somebody/something to the mercy/mercies of somebody/something
    (humorous)to leave somebody/something in a situation that may cause them to suffer or to be treated badly
  • privatized companies left to the mercy of market forces
  • I’ll leave you to the tender mercies of these ladies!
    • throw yourself on somebody’s mercy
    (formal)to put yourself in a situation where you must rely on somebody to be kind to you and not harm or punish you