merciful Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. adjective showing or giving mercy
    • sought merciful treatment for the captives
    • a merciful god
  2. adjective satellite (used conventionally of royalty and high nobility) gracious
    • our merciful king

WordNet

Mer"ci*ful adjective
Etymology
Mercy + -ful.
Definitions
  1. Full of mercy; having or exercising mercy; disposed to pity and spare offenders; unwilling to punish.
    The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious. Ex. xxxiv. 6.
    Be merciful, great duke, to men of mold. Shak.
  2. Unwilling to give pain; compassionate.
    A merciful man will be merciful to his beast. Old Proverb.
    Syn. -- Compassionate; tender; humane; gracious; kind; mild; clement; benignant. -- Mer"ci*ful*ly, adv. -- Mer"ci*ful*ness, n.

Webster 1913