merciful synonyms

merciful

modif.

  1. Giving evidence of mercy

    lenient, clement, feeling, compassionate, pitiful, soft-hearted, mild, sparing, tolerant, kindly, indulgent, benign, benignant; see also humane 1, kind.

    Antonyms cruel*, pitiless*, unsparing. *

  2. Having mercy as a character trait

    gentle, tender, gracious; see kind, thoughtful 2.

Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.