Basic Details
Word: Mercy
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Kindness or forgiveness shown to someone you have the power to punish or harm.
Synonyms: compassion, pity, forgiveness, kindness
Antonyms: cruelty, harshness
How to Spell Mercy
Syllables: mer - cy
Tricky part: The s sound is spelt with c, and the word ends in y. Students write mersy or mercey.
Watch out for: mersy, mercey, murcy
Memory tip: Merciful and merciless both keep the c of mercy, so if you know one of them, you know the c.
Idioms and Phrases
- at the mercy of: in the power of someone or something that can harm you. Example: "The small fishing boat was at the mercy of the storm."
Usage Examples
Example 1: Out of mercy, the farmer let the injured deer rest in his barn.
Example 2: The kitten looked up at us as if begging for mercy.
Example 3: Emperor Ashoka is remembered for choosing mercy after the Kalinga war.
Fun Fact
The French word merci, 'thank you', comes from the same Latin word as mercy, merces, which first meant a reward or wages.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Connection
Choose the word opposite in meaning to mercy as used in the sentence:
The king showed mercy and set the captured soldiers free.
a) pity
b) compassion
c) kindness
d) cruelty
Show answer
d) cruelty. Mercy is kindness to someone in your power, and cruelty is its opposite; the other three mean much the same as mercy.
Spell-o-Spell
Only one word in the list is misspelt. Choose the meaning of that word.
1. mercey 2. forgiveness 3. justice 4. vengeance
a) fair and right treatment
b) punishment given in return for a wrong
c) kindness shown to someone you could punish
d) stopping being angry with someone who has wronged you
Show answer
c) kindness shown to someone you could punish. Forgiveness, vengeance and justice are all correct; mercey has slipped in an e, but mercy ends straight in cy.
Word Cookie
Find the misspelt word in the sentence:
The boy who had stolen mangoes from the orchard begged for mersy when the farmer finally caught him behind the well.
a) orchard
b) farmer
c) mersy
d) caught
Show answer
c) mersy. The s sound in mercy is written with a c, as in merciful.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. A boat 'at the mercy of the waves' is ____.
a) sailing safely home
b) made of strong steel
c) helpless against them
d) tied to the shore
Show answer
c) helpless against them
2. Which French word comes from the same root as mercy?
a) salut
b) oui
c) bonjour
d) merci
Show answer
d) merci
