mercy

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++朗文当代英语 5++LDOCE 5++朗文 5++mer·cy /ˈmɜːsi $ ˈmɜːrsi/ noun 1 [uncountable]KIND if someone shows mercy, they choose to forgive or to be kind to someone who they have the power to hurt or punish 仁慈；宽恕 He showed no mercy to his enemies. 他对敌人毫不仁慈。 God have mercy on his soul. 愿上帝宽恕他的灵魂。beg/cry/plead for mercy The boy was screaming and begging for mercy. 男孩尖叫着乞求宽恕。2 at the mercy of somebody/something CONTROLunable to do anything to protect yourself from someone or something 任凭某人/某物的摆布〔而无力保护自己〕 After the boat’s motor failed, they were at the mercy of the weather. 船的马达坏了，他们只能听命于天气了。 She was completely at his mercy. 她完全听任他的摆布。3 mercy flight/mission etc HELPa journey taken to bring help to people 救援飞行/任务等 a mercy mission to help homeless refugees 帮助无家可归的难民的救援任务4. leave somebody to somebody’s (tender) mercies DEAL WITHto let someone be dealt with by another person, who may treat them very badly or strictly – used humorously 任凭某人受他人折磨[摆布]〔幽默用法〕5. throw yourself on somebody’s mercy FORGIVEto ask someone to help you or forgive you when you are in a very bad situation 乞求某人帮助[宽恕]自己6 it’s a mercy (that) spokenLUCKY used to say that it is lucky that a worse situation was avoided 幸运的是…，幸亏 It’s a mercy the accident happened so near the hospital. 幸亏事故发生在离医院很近的地方。 → be thankful/grateful for small mercies at small1(13)n COLLOCATIONSphraseshave mercy (on somebody) (=act in a kind or forgiving way - often used to express a hope or prayer)‘God have mercy on me!’ Miss Barton cried.show mercy (to somebody) (=act in a kind or forgiving way)He showed no mercy to those who had angered him.ask for mercyThe only thing I can do now is ask for mercy.beg/plead for mercy (=ask in a desperate way for someone's mercy)She continued the punishment, although they begged for mercy.scream/cry for mercyHe screamed for mercy, shouting 'don't shoot!'.adjectivesgreat mercyGod in his great mercy has forgiven you.God's mercyWill we still receive God's mercy if we refuse to repent?divine mercy (=the mercy of God)He did not lose his faith in God and divine mercy.infinite mercy (=the quality of mercy that God has, which never ends)He expressed his thanks for the infinite mercy of God in helping him escape from his own sinful life.

Examples from the Corpus

mercy• Mercy, mercy, mercy, he croaked, his first surrender to fatalism.• Priest: Lord, have mercy.• This man had no mercy on the people he killed.• It is not that they showed no mercy on the streets of Jericho.• We are at the mercy of our own detachment.• Even compassion for a man so much at the mercy of his physical urges.• With monarchy, the essential problem is that power is put at the mercy of relatives and genetics.beg/cry/plead for mercy• Their screams of horror and cries for mercy only brought a smile to my face.• In self-defense Jack calls on his stick, which beats the father until he cries for mercy.• Could make him cry for mercy.• The elder brother was shot in the stomach as he knelt pleading for mercy.• The killer was not hit but lay pleading for mercy.• Mad faces pushed against the grilles in the doors, tortured ones begging for mercy.• They cried for mercy but their pleas were met with abuse and laughter.• The class have to plead for mercy on his behalf, but the King's envoy will only accept written pleas.Origin mercy (1100-1200) Old French merci, from Latin merces “price paid, payment for work”, from merx “things for sale”

mer·cy noun →n COLLOCATIONS1LDOCE OnlineChineseSyllable

Corpus if shows they mercy, to choose forgive someone

mercy
mer‧cy /ˈmɜːsi $ ˈmɜːrsi/

noun

Date: 1100-1200
Language: Old French
Origin: merci, from Latin merces 'price paid, payment for work', from merx 'things for sale'

1. [uncountable] if someone shows mercy, they choose to forgive or to be kind to someone who they have the power to hurt or punish:

He showed no mercy to his enemies.

God have mercy on his soul.
beg/cry/plead for mercy

The boy was screaming and begging for mercy.
2. at the mercy of somebody/something unable to do anything to protect yourself from someone or something:

After the boat’s motor failed, they were at the mercy of the weather.

She was completely at his mercy.
3. mercy flight/mission etc a journey taken to bring help to people:

a mercy mission to help homeless refugees
4. leave somebody to sb’s (tender) mercies to let someone be dealt with by another person, who may treat them very badly or strictly – used humorously
5. throw yourself on sb’s mercy to ask someone to help you or forgive you when you are in a very bad situation
6. it’s a mercy (that) spoken used to say that it is lucky that a worse situation was avoided:

It’s a mercy the accident happened so near the hospital.
⇨ be thankful/grateful for small mercies at small¹(13)

COLLOCATIONS

■ phrases
   ▪ have mercy (on somebody) (=act in a kind or forgiving way - often used to express a hope or prayer) ‘God have mercy on me!’ Miss Barton cried.
   ▪ show mercy (to somebody) (=act in a kind or forgiving way) He showed no mercy to those who had angered him.
   ▪ ask for mercy The only thing I can do now is ask for mercy.
   ▪ beg/plead for mercy (=ask in a desperate way for someone's mercy) She continued the punishment, although they begged for mercy.
   ▪ scream/cry for mercy He screamed for mercy, shouting 'don't shoot!'.
■ adjectives
   ▪ great mercy God in his great mercy has forgiven you.
   ▪ God's mercy Will we still receive God's mercy if we refuse to repent?
   ▪ divine mercy (=the mercy of God) He did not lose his faith in God and divine mercy.
   ▪ infinite mercy (=the quality of mercy that God has, which never ends) He expressed his thanks for the infinite mercy of God in helping him escape from his own sinful life.

mercy

BrE

/ˈmɜːsi/

🔊

NAmE

/ˈmɜːrsi/

🔊

noun

(

mercies

)

[uncountable]