merciful
gb/mˈɚsɪfəl/ us/mˈɚsɪfəl/
B2
English
~ 6300
irgalmas, könyörületes, kíméletes, megváltó
B2
1
irgalmas
B2
könyörületes
C1
Usage pattern:
merciful to/toward [someone]
The judge was merciful and gave him a shorter sentence than expected.
A bíró irgalmas volt hozzá, és a vártnál rövidebb börtönbüntetést szabott ki rá.
She prayed for a merciful God to forgive her mistakes.
Azért imádkozott, hogy az irgalmas Isten megbocsássa a hibáit.
They begged the soldiers to be merciful to the prisoners.
His teacher was merciful and allowed him to retake the test.
A truly merciful leader thinks first about the suffering of ordinary people.
Learner examples
The king was merciful and did not kill the man.
A király irgalmas volt, és nem végeztette ki a férfit.
Please be merciful to him; he is very young.
Kérlek, légy könyörületes vele; nagyon fiatal még.
Her parents were merciful and did not punish her hard.
He asked the police officer to be merciful.
A merciful person tries to help people who are in pain.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "merciful" with "thankful" or "grateful" and try to say things like *"I am merciful for your help"*. In this case, the correct word is "grateful" or "thankful". "Merciful" describes someone who has power over others and chooses to be kind and not punish them harshly.
Meaning
showing kindness and forgiveness
Collocations
a merciful judge
|a merciful decision
|a merciful ruler
|merciful to the poor
|merciful toward prisoners
|a merciful act
Synonyms
compassionate (Emphasizes deep feeling for another’s suffering; slightly more formal but very close in meaning.)
|
forgiving (Focuses more specifically on not being angry or resentful after a wrong, less about power to punish.)
|
lenient (Often used about mild punishment; may suggest being softer than expected or than rules require.)
Antonyms
cruel (Suggests taking pleasure in or not caring about another’s suffering, the opposite of showing mercy.)
|
harsh (Stresses severe or very strict treatment or punishment without kindness.)
|
merciless (Direct opposite; means showing no mercy or pity at all.)
Themes
emotions
|religion
|ethics
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Wanting to be kind and forgive people, and not give very hard punishment.
Showing kindness and compassion by forgiving someone or by not punishing or hurting them as severely as you could.
C1
2
Usage pattern:
a merciful [end/death/outcome]
After months of pain, his sudden passing was a merciful death.
Hónapokig tartó fájdalom után a hirtelen halála megváltást jelentett számára.
The storm was fierce but mercifully short, and the damage was limited.
A vihar heves volt, de szerencsére hamar elvonult, így csak korlátozott kár keletkezett.
Her illness progressed quickly, and the doctors said the end was merciful.
The meeting dragged on with no merciful break in sight.
For the exhausted runners, the early finish line felt like a merciful release.
Learner examples
The operation was painful, but it was merciful because it ended his long sickness.
A műtét fájdalmas volt, de megváltást jelentett számára, mert véget vetett a hosszú betegségének.
Her death was sad, but it was also merciful because she had suffered for many years.
A halála szomorú volt, de egyben megváltás is volt számára, mert hosszú éveken át szenvedett.
The movie was mercifully short, so we did not get too bored.
The rain was heavy but mercifully ended after ten minutes.
His quick end was a merciful release from his pain.
Common mistake:
Learners may think "merciful" can describe any good or happy event, but in this sense it is usually used when something ends or softens a bad or painful situation (for example, a merciful death, a mercifully short speech), not just any pleasant thing.
Meaning
making suffering shorter or less severe
Collocations
a merciful death
|a merciful end
|a merciful release
|a merciful outcome
|mercifully brief
|mercifully short
Synonyms
relieving (Focuses on taking away pain or stress; less strong connection to moral or emotional mercy.)
|
welcome (Shows that something is gladly received because it improves a bad situation, but without the idea of kindness or pity.)
|
fortunate (Emphasizes luck rather than active kindness, but often used for a result that lessens suffering.)
Antonyms
prolonged (Emphasizes that something bad continues for a long time instead of ending quickly.)
|
unrelenting (Stresses that something bad does not ease up or become less severe.)
|
agonizing (Suggests very strong pain or emotional suffering, the opposite of a merciful end.)
Themes
emotions
|health
|life_and_death
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Describes something that makes pain, trouble, or an unpleasant time end faster or feel less bad.
(Of an event or result) Ending or reducing suffering or discomfort so that a bad situation is shorter or less severe than it might have been.
Grammar
Dictionary form
merciful
IPA
GB/mˈɚsɪfəl/
US/mˈɚsɪfəl/
Syllables & stress
mer - ci - ful (3 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (mer)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: merciful
Word family
Expressions
a merciful death
1/ə mˈɚsɪfəl dˈɛθ/
fixed phrase
death that quickly ends suffering
A death that comes fast and stops long pain or suffering.
Examples
- After years of illness, her family felt it was a merciful death.
- The doctor said that, in some ways, his passing was a merciful death because he had been in so much pain.
a merciful end
1/ə mˈɚsɪfəl ˈɛnd/
fixed phrase
ending that stops suffering
An ending that stops pain, trouble, or a very hard time.
Examples
- For everyone involved, the decision brought a merciful end to the long conflict.
- After months of worry, the final result felt like a merciful end to the whole problem.
a merciful release
1/ə mˈɚsɪfəl ɹilˈis/
fixed phrase
event that frees from suffering
Something (often death or the end of a situation) that frees a person from long pain or trouble.
Examples
- After so many years in pain, his death was seen as a merciful release.
- The closure of the failing company was a merciful release for staff who had lived with constant uncertainty.
mercifully short
1/mˈɚsɪfəli ʃˈɔɹt/
fixed phrase
pleasantly brief and not too long
Used when something is short, and this is good because it could easily have been long and boring or painful.
Examples
- His speech was mercifully short and to the point.
- The wait at the clinic was mercifully short this time.