Definition of mercy in English:

mercy

nounPlural mercies ˈməːsiˈmərsi

mass noun

1Compassion or forgiveness shown towards someone whom it is within one's power to punish or harm.
慈悲，怜悯；仁慈，宽容
the boy was screaming and begging for mercy
男孩尖叫着乞求宽恕。
count noun the mercies of God
上帝的慈悲。
Example sentencesExamples
- She had killed without mercy and used her power and beauty to manipulate people into doing whatever she wanted.
- A swarm of dark elves jumped down from the trees and fell upon the humans, slaying them without mercy for harming one of their companions.
- We must find him for ourselves a God of grace, mercy, love and power, for that is what he really is.
- When I am put into a position of control by a social phenomenon like the Sims, where I get insane pleasure from killing without mercy, well, I begin to wonder.
- They will kill you and those you love without mercy.
- The only moral action is kill the terrorist without mercy or regret, and thus protect innocent lives against future acts of terrorism.
- He metes out justice without mercy, with no compassion for any man, an insult to your grandfather's legacy, and your father's.
- According to her some of the most important aspects that an individual needs to possess in life are love, passion, affection, mercy and compassion for the poor.
- All of us afflicted by landlords merely vow to hate them without mercy for the entire day.
- Such an image of God may also be of our own making, but it at least provides us with a vision of hope and faith in a God of grace, mercy, and compassion.
- They intended to exploit his fame; they treated him without mercy in hope that he would break and make propaganda broadcasts.
- Could Hashem not find it within His infinite mercy to forgive Moshe's one sin?
- He must be henceforth treated like a moral leper to satisfy our conviction that endless ongoing punishment without mercy is ours to mete out to him forever.
- The man in the white coat holding the dart gun looked up as Aidan came down him without mercy and blinded by fury and wrath.
- In fact, the Prime Minister's compassion and mercy have absolutely nothing to do with his charitable feelings towards her.
- He could hear them beg for mercy within their minds however; he would not extend any, at least not yet.
- Anyone who revolted against his or her superior could be punished without mercy.
- There are instances in which Mohammed behaved harshly and unjustly in his dealings with people and without mercy towards his enemies.
- ‘We will wage a war without mercy against the terrorists’ he warned.
- The person with the lower voice is in the authority position, in that she is the one causing harm and from whom mercy is begged.
Synonyms
leniency, lenience, clemency, compassion, grace, pity, charity, forgiveness, forbearance, quarter, humanity, humaneness, humanitarianism
mildness, soft-heartedness, tender-heartedness, kindness, sympathy, liberality, indulgence, tolerance, generosity, magnanimity, beneficence
1. 1.1count noun An event to be grateful for, because it prevents something unpleasant or provides relief from suffering.
  幸运；解脱
  his death was in a way a mercy
  某种意义上说，他的死是一种解脱。
  Example sentencesExamples
  The Blues, experiencing troubled times, are grateful for any mercies these days and they gratefully accepted the four points for a victory that nudges them ahead of Glasgow in the Celtic League.
  American Airlines was ridiculously accommodating, and that was a mercy.
  The Koran speaks of the advent of the Prophet as a mercy to the entire universe.
  Many an immigrants wrote back to their families in the villages applauding the mercies of Lord Ram in providing Shiv Sena, thanks to whose efforts we are alive today from the organized conspiracy of the Islamic Fundamentalists.
  It didn't occur to us to wonder what they thought of us, which might have been a mercy.
  We are thankful and grateful to God for His undeserved mercies.
  A priceless goal midway through the second half was a mercy in this impoverished era for the national side.
  Mind you, it wasn't a good meal, so perhaps it was a mercy.
  They are not killed, as are Easy Rider's dynamic duo, but death would seem a mercy in the face of the fate society seems to have in store for them.
  Given the sheer volume of my singing voice, this is a mercy.
  It would be a mercy to end its existence, but he left it there, just tethering at the edge of death, wishing for it but not enough to fall over.
  All occasions invite God's mercies, and all times are God's seasons.
  Consistency has never been his forte, so perhaps we should be grateful for the mercies this album provides.
  With a number of top-notch sides potentially lying in wait for Scotland in next month's play-offs, yesterday's success may yet prove a minuscule mercy.
  Finally, the Queen showed a little mercy, allowing the couple to meet once every year on the Silver River.
  It was, he says, a mercy that it happened so swiftly.
  Accordingly, the arrangement gives extraordinary protections to investors but leaves labor, the environment, and consumers to the mercies of the deregulated markets.
  I guess it's a mercy that I'll be in an eagerly awaited training from 10-noon.
  I suppose we can be grateful for those (rather large) mercies.
  By experience we discover the Lord's mercies to be new every morning, and his faithfulness to be sure and dependable even when ours is weak.
  Synonyms
  blessing, godsend, boon, favour, piece/stroke of luck
2. 1.2as modifier (especially of a journey or mission) performed out of a desire to relieve suffering.
  （尤指旅行或使命）出于怜悯的
  mercy missions to refugees caught up in the fighting
  救助陷入战火的难民的人道主义任务。
  Example sentencesExamples
  A charity worker has thanked people in Harwich for their support ahead of a mercy mission to Romania.
  The modern day Mrs. Claus is embarking on a mercy mission to Romania, to bring a little bit of Christmas spirit into the lives of orphaned children.
  An aerial mercy mission answered the prayers of the monks of Caldey Island to watch the televised funeral of the Pope.
  Listen to him long enough and it begins to sound like a crusade rather than a bid - a mercy mission for investors across the land.
  The aid worker, who quit the army in 1992 to become a civilian engineering contractor, revealed how he turned down a well-paid job in Portugal to join the mercy mission.
  A bury optometrist has helped to safeguard the sight of many desperately poor Ugandans during a vital mercy mission with Vision Aid Overseas.
  Noreen took her 10-year-old grand-daughter on the mercy mission.
  Simon is aware, he said, of the hardship and scenes of suffering which he is likely to encounter on his mercy mission.
  A retired teacher is preparing to take part in a mercy mission to give poverty-stricken children in Eastern Europe a Christmas to remember.
  A school headteacher is to go on a mercy mission to Westminster in a last-ditch attempt to save seven of his pupils from deportation.
  After doctors warned last May that the two-year-old might not live to see his 10th birthday, they quickly embarked on their own mercy mission.
  Fooled into thinking John was suffering from an incurable brain tumour, the friend, known as Mark, agreed to the killing as a mercy mission.
  Philomena Smyth said the walk was the first fund-raising activity for the mercy mission.
  One of those taking part in the mercy mission is 17-year-old Sarah.
  A Shipston dad is hoping to build up support for a mercy mission to a tsunami-hit Sri Lankan village.
  However, the mercy mission has proved controversial because it is being funded by taxpayers money - something some residents have complained about.
  A family holiday turned into a medical mercy mission as the family met specialists all over the United States to try and find a cure.
  A doctor from Tameside Hospital is joining a team of physicians on a mercy mission to help earthquake victims.
  Today very nearly featured a mercy mission to the local hospital, until the patient in question had the nerve to be discharged before Lisa and I could turn up with the grapes.
  Littleborough charity worker Glenda is off an a mercy mission to help children affected by the world's worst nuclear disaster.

exclamation ˈməːsiˈmərsi

archaic

Used in expressions of surprise or fear.
〈古〉表示惊愕或恐惧嗳呀
‘Mercy me!’ uttered Mrs Diggory
迪戈里太太叫了一声：“嗳呀！”
Example sentencesExamples
- Ah mean is it too much to ask for even a ‘throw your hands in the air’ a few ‘lawd a mercy!’
- Oh and back to the skimpy caribana costumes. lawd a mercy!

Phrases

at the mercy of

Completely in the power of.
任凭…的摆布，完全受…的支配
consumers were at the mercy of every rogue in the marketplace
顾客任凭奸商欺诈。
Example sentencesExamples
- I do not wish to sit in any accommodation at the mercy of a driver.
- You are at the mercy of Mother Nature and toil long, hard hours in the knowledge that you could earn more working in a supermarket.
- It was also less prosperous and secure, and more at the mercy of European power politics.
- Consumers were left at the mercy of the dishonest conduct in the finance sector.
- These policies have left us badly exposed and at the mercy of natural phenomena like drought.
- They are not simply private businesses at the mercy of businessmen.
- I think human beings in the 21st century are at the mercy of so many things.
- She stared up into the face of a man that she had once been at the mercy of and felt her skin begin to crawl again.
- Even the excessive amount of time I am spending at the mercy of my employers is not enough to dampen my spirits.
- But all that is about to change, as Paul must lie at the mercy of a nurse.
- This very fact places the results at the mercy of culturally insensitive marketers.
- I was quite literally at the mercy of the Inquisition and was completely unable to tell a lie.
- You have the power to order, consume, relax, but you are also incapacitated, at the mercy of the hotel machine.
- Once they descended into it they would be at the mercy of whatever hid behind its cloak.
- It's a nightmare that I suppose most people have of being naked and at the mercy of some strange power.
- They in turn are at the mercy of the power companies for electricity to transmitters and relay stations.
- A factory job with all its miseries would be better than being at the mercy of this woman's power over your job and cottage.
- Ending up bobbing in the ocean at the mercy of what might be a confluence of different currents is another matter entirely.
- Try living at the mercy of all that for a bit then see how much big cities turn you off.
- So for at least two years an immigrant woman can be at the mercy of whatever her spouse wishes.
Synonyms
in the power of, in the control of, under the control of, in the clutches of, in the palm of someone's hand, under the heel of, subject to
defenceless against, unprotected against, vulnerable to, threatened by, exposed to, susceptible to, prey to, open to, wide open to, an easy target for

be thankful (or grateful) for small mercies

Be relieved that an unpleasant situation is alleviated by minor advantages.
庆幸不利情况已略有改善
none of the men gave her a second glance, and she wondered wryly whether to be thankful for small mercies
Example sentencesExamples
- Patients should be grateful for small mercies.
- But he, and Scotland, have to be grateful for small mercies.
- I suppose you should be grateful for small mercies - at least it's not Randy.
- A more fully balanced portrait of the production details would have been welcome, but we should be thankful for small mercies - Columbia provides nothing else, not even the trailer.
- I was thankful for small mercies, though; there had been talk of me being dressed as a sumo wrestler.
- That's still a long time but I suppose we should be grateful for small mercies.
- But be grateful for small mercies: at least they come in the right year.
- Must be grateful for small mercies, or so they say…
- Gratifyingly, the BBC report makes no mention whatsoever of ‘blogging’, so we can be thankful for small mercies.
- That would not be as good as live Friday night coverage, but we might have to be thankful for small mercies.
- This year it was not a matter of life and death there were no lives at stake so we must be grateful for small mercies.
- In any area of taxation policy, one must be grateful for small mercies as the Treasury and Inland Revenue are vigilant about protecting their fiscal base.
- The coach is thankful for small mercies these days.
- But, I expect, we have to be grateful for small mercies, however.
- Should be grateful for small mercies, I suppose.
- I suppose we should really be thankful for small mercies.
- Around it there is the lingering legacy of a relatively poor society in which it made sense to be grateful for small mercies.
- Okay, maybe all of this isn't really very much, but let's be thankful for small mercies shall we.
- The Minister is obviously learning from the tactics of the EU Commission and asking us to be thankful for small mercies in scaling down the level of increases to a level which is still punitive.
- It keeps us going a bit longer, and we must be grateful for small mercies.

have mercy on (or upon)

Show compassion or forgiveness to.
宽恕；对…有怜悯之心
may the Lord have mercy on her soul
愿主宽恕她的灵魂。
have mercy on the player and give him plenty of rests
Example sentencesExamples
- And may he have mercy on us all, especially victims and abusers.
- O Allah, forgive me, have mercy on me, guide me aright and grant me sustenance.
- If God is all forgiving then he will have mercy on us for taking some drastic measures to defend the people.
- Let every community set a watch in prayer and uplift each other and may God have mercy upon our souls.
- If this is indeed the case, then may God have mercy on all our souls, for the problem is even deeper than I had previously feared.
- He begged his god's forgiveness and asked him to have mercy on his children.
- May the Lord have mercy on your soul,’ the judge said to a silent Cadette, who smiled as he was led out of the courtroom by police.
- ‘May the lord have mercy on your soul,’ Scott said.
- May Allah forgive all living and all dead and have mercy upon us all.
- And every mother prays for her son, May God forgive him and have mercy on him.
Synonyms
pardon, forgive, grant an amnesty to, amnesty

leave someone/something to the mercy of

Leave someone or something exposed to probable danger or harm.
听任…由（可能有危险或危害的形势）摆布
the forest is left to the mercy of the loggers
森林任凭伐木工随意砍伐。
Example sentencesExamples
- Under this constitution, rights are left to the mercy of predators such as Howard and expedient windbags like Beazley.
- Then they withdrew and left us to the mercy of tens of hooligans who locked us inside.
- If we had been left to the mercy of Aer Lingus and their fares we would have had to move to Brussels altogether.
- Without even a single Muslim family in the village, the mosque has been left to the mercy of local villagers.
- Directly on the other side of the stream were two very rundown thatched, whitewashed cottages that also looked as if they had been left to the mercy of the elements.
- Old widows in Mathura and Vrindavan are left to the mercy of the public to eke out an existence.
- Nor leave the country to the mercy of rape gangs and carjackers and then take the guns away.
- Our entire security set-up is VIP oriented and huge amount is being spent annually to provide security cover to the selected few leaving the common people to the mercy of God.
- Sleeping on the floor was out of the question and I couldn't go upstairs leaving Doug to the mercy of my parents.
- Since Robert left Jonathan to the mercy of the spiders, he has been in a deep depression.
- His plea for managers to be given clear objectives and left in peace was blamed for leaving banks to the mercy of spiv traders.
- Although, the Power Development Department has changed the electric poles in other parts of Srinagar city, but they have left this area to the mercy of God.
- I left my customers to the mercy of an extremely stoned and paranoid Benji, plagued by imaginary ringing bells, and sneaked off to the bar next door.
- We have left them to the mercy of extremist groups who have preyed on them at colleges and universities.
- And so the masses were left to the mercy of the soup kitchens, which were set up all over Ireland to bring relief.
- The chassis was bent and everything was badly corroded because it had been left to the mercy of the elements in an open barn.
- High street traders who had to close their stores after flash floods on Tuesday say their shops have been left to the mercy of the weather after gullies and drainage were removed.
- With a sigh of defeat she left Will to the mercy of Bastian.
- Earlier, more than 2.5 million residents along the Florida coast had evacuated their homes, leaving their possessions to the mercy of the storm.
- ‘With security non-existent, I am worried that when the matches start tomorrow we will be leaving our gear to the mercy of God, as anybody can walk in and cart our things away,’ said Leo.

throw oneself on someone's mercy

Intentionally place oneself in a situation in which one must rely on someone else to be compassionate or lenient towards one.
she was tempted to go back and throw herself on the mercy of the landlady
on this occasion we'll have to throw ourselves on the mercy of the court
Example sentencesExamples
- I prayed to Jesus to help me many times and threw myself on his mercy.
- I confessed to knowing nothing about Italian cheese and threw myself on his mercy.
- I buzzed on the salon door, was let inside, and threw myself on his mercy.

Origin

Middle English: from Old French merci 'pity' or 'thanks', from Latin merces, merced- 'reward', in Christian Latin 'pity, favour, heavenly reward'.

In the Latin of the early Christian Church, merces, which had meant simply ‘reward’ in classical times, came to be used for ‘heavenly reward’ and also ‘pity, favour’. These are the senses in which mercy first appears in the Middle Ages. The phrase to be thankful for small mercies is first recorded in Sir Walter Scott's novel The Heart of Midlothian, published in 1818.

Rhymes

arsy-versy, Circe, Percy, pursy

Definition of mercy in US English:

mercy

nounˈmərsēˈmərsi

1Compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one's power to punish or harm.
慈悲，怜悯；仁慈，宽容
the boy was screaming and begging for mercy
男孩尖叫着乞求宽恕。
the mercies of God
上帝的慈悲。
Example sentencesExamples
- In fact, the Prime Minister's compassion and mercy have absolutely nothing to do with his charitable feelings towards her.
- Such an image of God may also be of our own making, but it at least provides us with a vision of hope and faith in a God of grace, mercy, and compassion.
- She had killed without mercy and used her power and beauty to manipulate people into doing whatever she wanted.
- All of us afflicted by landlords merely vow to hate them without mercy for the entire day.
- The person with the lower voice is in the authority position, in that she is the one causing harm and from whom mercy is begged.
- According to her some of the most important aspects that an individual needs to possess in life are love, passion, affection, mercy and compassion for the poor.
- When I am put into a position of control by a social phenomenon like the Sims, where I get insane pleasure from killing without mercy, well, I begin to wonder.
- A swarm of dark elves jumped down from the trees and fell upon the humans, slaying them without mercy for harming one of their companions.
- They will kill you and those you love without mercy.
- ‘We will wage a war without mercy against the terrorists’ he warned.
- We must find him for ourselves a God of grace, mercy, love and power, for that is what he really is.
- The only moral action is kill the terrorist without mercy or regret, and thus protect innocent lives against future acts of terrorism.
- Could Hashem not find it within His infinite mercy to forgive Moshe's one sin?
- He metes out justice without mercy, with no compassion for any man, an insult to your grandfather's legacy, and your father's.
- They intended to exploit his fame; they treated him without mercy in hope that he would break and make propaganda broadcasts.
- Anyone who revolted against his or her superior could be punished without mercy.
- There are instances in which Mohammed behaved harshly and unjustly in his dealings with people and without mercy towards his enemies.
- He could hear them beg for mercy within their minds however; he would not extend any, at least not yet.
- The man in the white coat holding the dart gun looked up as Aidan came down him without mercy and blinded by fury and wrath.
- He must be henceforth treated like a moral leper to satisfy our conviction that endless ongoing punishment without mercy is ours to mete out to him forever.
Synonyms
leniency, lenience, clemency, compassion, grace, pity, charity, forgiveness, forbearance, quarter, humanity, humaneness, humanitarianism
1. 1.1 An event to be grateful for, especially because its occurrence prevents something unpleasant or provides relief from suffering.
  幸运；解脱
  his death was in a way a mercy
  某种意义上说，他的死是一种解脱。
  Example sentencesExamples
  All occasions invite God's mercies, and all times are God's seasons.
  American Airlines was ridiculously accommodating, and that was a mercy.
  A priceless goal midway through the second half was a mercy in this impoverished era for the national side.
  We are thankful and grateful to God for His undeserved mercies.
  Finally, the Queen showed a little mercy, allowing the couple to meet once every year on the Silver River.
  It would be a mercy to end its existence, but he left it there, just tethering at the edge of death, wishing for it but not enough to fall over.
  Accordingly, the arrangement gives extraordinary protections to investors but leaves labor, the environment, and consumers to the mercies of the deregulated markets.
  Mind you, it wasn't a good meal, so perhaps it was a mercy.
  Given the sheer volume of my singing voice, this is a mercy.
  They are not killed, as are Easy Rider's dynamic duo, but death would seem a mercy in the face of the fate society seems to have in store for them.
  The Koran speaks of the advent of the Prophet as a mercy to the entire universe.
  The Blues, experiencing troubled times, are grateful for any mercies these days and they gratefully accepted the four points for a victory that nudges them ahead of Glasgow in the Celtic League.
  It didn't occur to us to wonder what they thought of us, which might have been a mercy.
  With a number of top-notch sides potentially lying in wait for Scotland in next month's play-offs, yesterday's success may yet prove a minuscule mercy.
  By experience we discover the Lord's mercies to be new every morning, and his faithfulness to be sure and dependable even when ours is weak.
  I guess it's a mercy that I'll be in an eagerly awaited training from 10-noon.
  Many an immigrants wrote back to their families in the villages applauding the mercies of Lord Ram in providing Shiv Sena, thanks to whose efforts we are alive today from the organized conspiracy of the Islamic Fundamentalists.
  Consistency has never been his forte, so perhaps we should be grateful for the mercies this album provides.
  It was, he says, a mercy that it happened so swiftly.
  I suppose we can be grateful for those (rather large) mercies.
  Synonyms
  blessing, godsend, boon, favour, piece of luck, stroke of luck
2. 1.2as modifier (especially of a journey or mission) performed out of a desire to relieve suffering; motivated by compassion.
  （尤指旅行或使命）出于怜悯的
  mercy missions to refugees caught up in the fighting
  救助陷入战火的难民的人道主义任务。
  Example sentencesExamples
  However, the mercy mission has proved controversial because it is being funded by taxpayers money - something some residents have complained about.
  Noreen took her 10-year-old grand-daughter on the mercy mission.
  A family holiday turned into a medical mercy mission as the family met specialists all over the United States to try and find a cure.
  A doctor from Tameside Hospital is joining a team of physicians on a mercy mission to help earthquake victims.
  After doctors warned last May that the two-year-old might not live to see his 10th birthday, they quickly embarked on their own mercy mission.
  A charity worker has thanked people in Harwich for their support ahead of a mercy mission to Romania.
  A school headteacher is to go on a mercy mission to Westminster in a last-ditch attempt to save seven of his pupils from deportation.
  A retired teacher is preparing to take part in a mercy mission to give poverty-stricken children in Eastern Europe a Christmas to remember.
  Philomena Smyth said the walk was the first fund-raising activity for the mercy mission.
  Fooled into thinking John was suffering from an incurable brain tumour, the friend, known as Mark, agreed to the killing as a mercy mission.
  The modern day Mrs. Claus is embarking on a mercy mission to Romania, to bring a little bit of Christmas spirit into the lives of orphaned children.
  The aid worker, who quit the army in 1992 to become a civilian engineering contractor, revealed how he turned down a well-paid job in Portugal to join the mercy mission.
  A bury optometrist has helped to safeguard the sight of many desperately poor Ugandans during a vital mercy mission with Vision Aid Overseas.
  One of those taking part in the mercy mission is 17-year-old Sarah.
  An aerial mercy mission answered the prayers of the monks of Caldey Island to watch the televised funeral of the Pope.
  Today very nearly featured a mercy mission to the local hospital, until the patient in question had the nerve to be discharged before Lisa and I could turn up with the grapes.
  Littleborough charity worker Glenda is off an a mercy mission to help children affected by the world's worst nuclear disaster.
  Listen to him long enough and it begins to sound like a crusade rather than a bid - a mercy mission for investors across the land.
  A Shipston dad is hoping to build up support for a mercy mission to a tsunami-hit Sri Lankan village.
  Simon is aware, he said, of the hardship and scenes of suffering which he is likely to encounter on his mercy mission.

exclamationˈmərsēˈmərsi

archaic

Used in expressions of surprise or fear.
〈古〉表示惊愕或恐惧嗳呀
“Mercy me!” uttered Mrs. Garfield
迪戈里太太叫了一声：“嗳呀！”
Example sentencesExamples
- Ah mean is it too much to ask for even a ‘throw your hands in the air’ a few ‘lawd a mercy!’
- Oh and back to the skimpy caribana costumes. lawd a mercy!

Phrases

at the mercy of

Completely in the power or under the control of.
任凭…的摆布，完全受…的支配
consumers were at the mercy of every rogue in the marketplace
顾客任凭奸商欺诈。
Example sentencesExamples
- Consumers were left at the mercy of the dishonest conduct in the finance sector.
- These policies have left us badly exposed and at the mercy of natural phenomena like drought.
- Ending up bobbing in the ocean at the mercy of what might be a confluence of different currents is another matter entirely.
- It's a nightmare that I suppose most people have of being naked and at the mercy of some strange power.
- I do not wish to sit in any accommodation at the mercy of a driver.
- You are at the mercy of Mother Nature and toil long, hard hours in the knowledge that you could earn more working in a supermarket.
- Even the excessive amount of time I am spending at the mercy of my employers is not enough to dampen my spirits.
- You have the power to order, consume, relax, but you are also incapacitated, at the mercy of the hotel machine.
- They in turn are at the mercy of the power companies for electricity to transmitters and relay stations.
- A factory job with all its miseries would be better than being at the mercy of this woman's power over your job and cottage.
- Try living at the mercy of all that for a bit then see how much big cities turn you off.
- She stared up into the face of a man that she had once been at the mercy of and felt her skin begin to crawl again.
- It was also less prosperous and secure, and more at the mercy of European power politics.
- So for at least two years an immigrant woman can be at the mercy of whatever her spouse wishes.
- I was quite literally at the mercy of the Inquisition and was completely unable to tell a lie.
- But all that is about to change, as Paul must lie at the mercy of a nurse.
- This very fact places the results at the mercy of culturally insensitive marketers.
- I think human beings in the 21st century are at the mercy of so many things.
- They are not simply private businesses at the mercy of businessmen.
- Once they descended into it they would be at the mercy of whatever hid behind its cloak.
Synonyms
in the power of, in the control of, under the control of, in the clutches of, in the palm of someone's hand, under the heel of, subject to
defenceless against, unprotected against, vulnerable to, threatened by, exposed to, susceptible to, prey to, open to, wide open to, an easy target for

be thankful (or grateful) for small mercies

Be relieved that an unpleasant situation is alleviated by minor advantages.
庆幸不利情况已略有改善
Example sentencesExamples
- I suppose you should be grateful for small mercies - at least it's not Randy.
- A more fully balanced portrait of the production details would have been welcome, but we should be thankful for small mercies - Columbia provides nothing else, not even the trailer.
- Gratifyingly, the BBC report makes no mention whatsoever of ‘blogging’, so we can be thankful for small mercies.
- I was thankful for small mercies, though; there had been talk of me being dressed as a sumo wrestler.
- That's still a long time but I suppose we should be grateful for small mercies.
- I suppose we should really be thankful for small mercies.
- But he, and Scotland, have to be grateful for small mercies.
- Should be grateful for small mercies, I suppose.
- Patients should be grateful for small mercies.
- But, I expect, we have to be grateful for small mercies, however.
- That would not be as good as live Friday night coverage, but we might have to be thankful for small mercies.
- Must be grateful for small mercies, or so they say…
- Okay, maybe all of this isn't really very much, but let's be thankful for small mercies shall we.
- But be grateful for small mercies: at least they come in the right year.
- Around it there is the lingering legacy of a relatively poor society in which it made sense to be grateful for small mercies.
- The coach is thankful for small mercies these days.
- This year it was not a matter of life and death there were no lives at stake so we must be grateful for small mercies.
- It keeps us going a bit longer, and we must be grateful for small mercies.
- The Minister is obviously learning from the tactics of the EU Commission and asking us to be thankful for small mercies in scaling down the level of increases to a level which is still punitive.
- In any area of taxation policy, one must be grateful for small mercies as the Treasury and Inland Revenue are vigilant about protecting their fiscal base.

have mercy on (or upon)

Show compassion or forgiveness to.
宽恕；对…有怜悯之心
may the Lord have mercy on her soul
愿主宽恕她的灵魂。
Example sentencesExamples
- May Allah forgive all living and all dead and have mercy upon us all.
- ‘May the lord have mercy on your soul,’ Scott said.
- And every mother prays for her son, May God forgive him and have mercy on him.
- May the Lord have mercy on your soul,’ the judge said to a silent Cadette, who smiled as he was led out of the courtroom by police.
- If God is all forgiving then he will have mercy on us for taking some drastic measures to defend the people.
- O Allah, forgive me, have mercy on me, guide me aright and grant me sustenance.
- Let every community set a watch in prayer and uplift each other and may God have mercy upon our souls.
- And may he have mercy on us all, especially victims and abusers.
- He begged his god's forgiveness and asked him to have mercy on his children.
- If this is indeed the case, then may God have mercy on all our souls, for the problem is even deeper than I had previously feared.
Synonyms
pardon, forgive, grant an amnesty to, amnesty

leave someone/something to the mercy of

Expose someone or something to a situation of probable danger or harm.
听任…由（可能有危险或危害的形势）摆布
the forest is left to the mercy of the loggers
森林任凭伐木工随意砍伐。
Example sentencesExamples
- Then they withdrew and left us to the mercy of tens of hooligans who locked us inside.
- ‘With security non-existent, I am worried that when the matches start tomorrow we will be leaving our gear to the mercy of God, as anybody can walk in and cart our things away,’ said Leo.
- I left my customers to the mercy of an extremely stoned and paranoid Benji, plagued by imaginary ringing bells, and sneaked off to the bar next door.
- High street traders who had to close their stores after flash floods on Tuesday say their shops have been left to the mercy of the weather after gullies and drainage were removed.
- Sleeping on the floor was out of the question and I couldn't go upstairs leaving Doug to the mercy of my parents.
- Earlier, more than 2.5 million residents along the Florida coast had evacuated their homes, leaving their possessions to the mercy of the storm.
- Directly on the other side of the stream were two very rundown thatched, whitewashed cottages that also looked as if they had been left to the mercy of the elements.
- Under this constitution, rights are left to the mercy of predators such as Howard and expedient windbags like Beazley.
- Old widows in Mathura and Vrindavan are left to the mercy of the public to eke out an existence.
- If we had been left to the mercy of Aer Lingus and their fares we would have had to move to Brussels altogether.
- His plea for managers to be given clear objectives and left in peace was blamed for leaving banks to the mercy of spiv traders.
- The chassis was bent and everything was badly corroded because it had been left to the mercy of the elements in an open barn.
- With a sigh of defeat she left Will to the mercy of Bastian.
- We have left them to the mercy of extremist groups who have preyed on them at colleges and universities.
- Our entire security set-up is VIP oriented and huge amount is being spent annually to provide security cover to the selected few leaving the common people to the mercy of God.
- Nor leave the country to the mercy of rape gangs and carjackers and then take the guns away.
- And so the masses were left to the mercy of the soup kitchens, which were set up all over Ireland to bring relief.
- Without even a single Muslim family in the village, the mosque has been left to the mercy of local villagers.
- Although, the Power Development Department has changed the electric poles in other parts of Srinagar city, but they have left this area to the mercy of God.
- Since Robert left Jonathan to the mercy of the spiders, he has been in a deep depression.

throw oneself on someone's mercy

Intentionally place oneself in a situation in which one must rely on someone else to be compassionate or lenient towards one.
Example sentencesExamples
- I buzzed on the salon door, was let inside, and threw myself on his mercy.
- I prayed to Jesus to help me many times and threw myself on his mercy.
- I confessed to knowing nothing about Italian cheese and threw myself on his mercy.

Origin

Middle English: from Old French merci ‘pity’ or ‘thanks’, from Latin merces, merced- ‘reward’, in Christian Latin ‘pity, favor, heavenly reward’.

单词	mercy
释义	Definition of mercy in English: mercy nounPlural mercies ˈməːsiˈmərsi mass noun 1Compassion or forgiveness shown towards someone whom it is within one's power to punish or harm. 慈悲，怜悯；仁慈，宽容 the boy was screaming and begging for mercy 男孩尖叫着乞求宽恕。 count noun the mercies of God 上帝的慈悲。 Example sentencesExamples She had killed without mercy and used her power and beauty to manipulate people into doing whatever she wanted. A swarm of dark elves jumped down from the trees and fell upon the humans, slaying them without mercy for harming one of their companions. We must find him for ourselves a God of grace, mercy, love and power, for that is what he really is. When I am put into a position of control by a social phenomenon like the Sims, where I get insane pleasure from killing without mercy, well, I begin to wonder. They will kill you and those you love without mercy. The only moral action is kill the terrorist without mercy or regret, and thus protect innocent lives against future acts of terrorism. He metes out justice without mercy, with no compassion for any man, an insult to your grandfather's legacy, and your father's. According to her some of the most important aspects that an individual needs to possess in life are love, passion, affection, mercy and compassion for the poor. All of us afflicted by landlords merely vow to hate them without mercy for the entire day. Such an image of God may also be of our own making, but it at least provides us with a vision of hope and faith in a God of grace, mercy, and compassion. They intended to exploit his fame; they treated him without mercy in hope that he would break and make propaganda broadcasts. Could Hashem not find it within His infinite mercy to forgive Moshe's one sin? He must be henceforth treated like a moral leper to satisfy our conviction that endless ongoing punishment without mercy is ours to mete out to him forever. The man in the white coat holding the dart gun looked up as Aidan came down him without mercy and blinded by fury and wrath. In fact, the Prime Minister's compassion and mercy have absolutely nothing to do with his charitable feelings towards her. He could hear them beg for mercy within their minds however; he would not extend any, at least not yet. Anyone who revolted against his or her superior could be punished without mercy. There are instances in which Mohammed behaved harshly and unjustly in his dealings with people and without mercy towards his enemies. ‘We will wage a war without mercy against the terrorists’ he warned. The person with the lower voice is in the authority position, in that she is the one causing harm and from whom mercy is begged. Synonyms leniency, lenience, clemency, compassion, grace, pity, charity, forgiveness, forbearance, quarter, humanity, humaneness, humanitarianism mildness, soft-heartedness, tender-heartedness, kindness, sympathy, liberality, indulgence, tolerance, generosity, magnanimity, beneficence 1.1count noun An event to be grateful for, because it prevents something unpleasant or provides relief from suffering. 幸运；解脱 his death was in a way a mercy 某种意义上说，他的死是一种解脱。 Example sentencesExamples The Blues, experiencing troubled times, are grateful for any mercies these days and they gratefully accepted the four points for a victory that nudges them ahead of Glasgow in the Celtic League. American Airlines was ridiculously accommodating, and that was a mercy. The Koran speaks of the advent of the Prophet as a mercy to the entire universe. Many an immigrants wrote back to their families in the villages applauding the mercies of Lord Ram in providing Shiv Sena, thanks to whose efforts we are alive today from the organized conspiracy of the Islamic Fundamentalists. It didn't occur to us to wonder what they thought of us, which might have been a mercy. We are thankful and grateful to God for His undeserved mercies. A priceless goal midway through the second half was a mercy in this impoverished era for the national side. Mind you, it wasn't a good meal, so perhaps it was a mercy. They are not killed, as are Easy Rider's dynamic duo, but death would seem a mercy in the face of the fate society seems to have in store for them. Given the sheer volume of my singing voice, this is a mercy. It would be a mercy to end its existence, but he left it there, just tethering at the edge of death, wishing for it but not enough to fall over. All occasions invite God's mercies, and all times are God's seasons. Consistency has never been his forte, so perhaps we should be grateful for the mercies this album provides. With a number of top-notch sides potentially lying in wait for Scotland in next month's play-offs, yesterday's success may yet prove a minuscule mercy. Finally, the Queen showed a little mercy, allowing the couple to meet once every year on the Silver River. It was, he says, a mercy that it happened so swiftly. Accordingly, the arrangement gives extraordinary protections to investors but leaves labor, the environment, and consumers to the mercies of the deregulated markets. I guess it's a mercy that I'll be in an eagerly awaited training from 10-noon. I suppose we can be grateful for those (rather large) mercies. By experience we discover the Lord's mercies to be new every morning, and his faithfulness to be sure and dependable even when ours is weak. Synonyms blessing, godsend, boon, favour, piece/stroke of luck 1.2as modifier (especially of a journey or mission) performed out of a desire to relieve suffering. （尤指旅行或使命）出于怜悯的 mercy missions to refugees caught up in the fighting 救助陷入战火的难民的人道主义任务。 Example sentencesExamples A charity worker has thanked people in Harwich for their support ahead of a mercy mission to Romania. The modern day Mrs. Claus is embarking on a mercy mission to Romania, to bring a little bit of Christmas spirit into the lives of orphaned children. An aerial mercy mission answered the prayers of the monks of Caldey Island to watch the televised funeral of the Pope. Listen to him long enough and it begins to sound like a crusade rather than a bid - a mercy mission for investors across the land. The aid worker, who quit the army in 1992 to become a civilian engineering contractor, revealed how he turned down a well-paid job in Portugal to join the mercy mission. A bury optometrist has helped to safeguard the sight of many desperately poor Ugandans during a vital mercy mission with Vision Aid Overseas. Noreen took her 10-year-old grand-daughter on the mercy mission. Simon is aware, he said, of the hardship and scenes of suffering which he is likely to encounter on his mercy mission. A retired teacher is preparing to take part in a mercy mission to give poverty-stricken children in Eastern Europe a Christmas to remember. A school headteacher is to go on a mercy mission to Westminster in a last-ditch attempt to save seven of his pupils from deportation. After doctors warned last May that the two-year-old might not live to see his 10th birthday, they quickly embarked on their own mercy mission. Fooled into thinking John was suffering from an incurable brain tumour, the friend, known as Mark, agreed to the killing as a mercy mission. Philomena Smyth said the walk was the first fund-raising activity for the mercy mission. One of those taking part in the mercy mission is 17-year-old Sarah. A Shipston dad is hoping to build up support for a mercy mission to a tsunami-hit Sri Lankan village. However, the mercy mission has proved controversial because it is being funded by taxpayers money - something some residents have complained about. A family holiday turned into a medical mercy mission as the family met specialists all over the United States to try and find a cure. A doctor from Tameside Hospital is joining a team of physicians on a mercy mission to help earthquake victims. Today very nearly featured a mercy mission to the local hospital, until the patient in question had the nerve to be discharged before Lisa and I could turn up with the grapes. Littleborough charity worker Glenda is off an a mercy mission to help children affected by the world's worst nuclear disaster. exclamation ˈməːsiˈmərsi archaic Used in expressions of surprise or fear. 〈古〉表示惊愕或恐惧嗳呀 ‘Mercy me!’ uttered Mrs Diggory 迪戈里太太叫了一声：“嗳呀！” Example sentencesExamples Ah mean is it too much to ask for even a ‘throw your hands in the air’ a few ‘lawd a mercy!’ Oh and back to the skimpy caribana costumes. lawd a mercy! Phrases at the mercy of Completely in the power of. 任凭…的摆布，完全受…的支配 consumers were at the mercy of every rogue in the marketplace 顾客任凭奸商欺诈。 Example sentencesExamples I do not wish to sit in any accommodation at the mercy of a driver. You are at the mercy of Mother Nature and toil long, hard hours in the knowledge that you could earn more working in a supermarket. It was also less prosperous and secure, and more at the mercy of European power politics. Consumers were left at the mercy of the dishonest conduct in the finance sector. These policies have left us badly exposed and at the mercy of natural phenomena like drought. They are not simply private businesses at the mercy of businessmen. I think human beings in the 21st century are at the mercy of so many things. She stared up into the face of a man that she had once been at the mercy of and felt her skin begin to crawl again. Even the excessive amount of time I am spending at the mercy of my employers is not enough to dampen my spirits. But all that is about to change, as Paul must lie at the mercy of a nurse. This very fact places the results at the mercy of culturally insensitive marketers. I was quite literally at the mercy of the Inquisition and was completely unable to tell a lie. You have the power to order, consume, relax, but you are also incapacitated, at the mercy of the hotel machine. Once they descended into it they would be at the mercy of whatever hid behind its cloak. It's a nightmare that I suppose most people have of being naked and at the mercy of some strange power. They in turn are at the mercy of the power companies for electricity to transmitters and relay stations. A factory job with all its miseries would be better than being at the mercy of this woman's power over your job and cottage. Ending up bobbing in the ocean at the mercy of what might be a confluence of different currents is another matter entirely. Try living at the mercy of all that for a bit then see how much big cities turn you off. So for at least two years an immigrant woman can be at the mercy of whatever her spouse wishes. Synonyms in the power of, in the control of, under the control of, in the clutches of, in the palm of someone's hand, under the heel of, subject to defenceless against, unprotected against, vulnerable to, threatened by, exposed to, susceptible to, prey to, open to, wide open to, an easy target for be thankful (or grateful) for small mercies Be relieved that an unpleasant situation is alleviated by minor advantages. 庆幸不利情况已略有改善 none of the men gave her a second glance, and she wondered wryly whether to be thankful for small mercies Example sentencesExamples Patients should be grateful for small mercies. But he, and Scotland, have to be grateful for small mercies. I suppose you should be grateful for small mercies - at least it's not Randy. A more fully balanced portrait of the production details would have been welcome, but we should be thankful for small mercies - Columbia provides nothing else, not even the trailer. I was thankful for small mercies, though; there had been talk of me being dressed as a sumo wrestler. That's still a long time but I suppose we should be grateful for small mercies. But be grateful for small mercies: at least they come in the right year. Must be grateful for small mercies, or so they say… Gratifyingly, the BBC report makes no mention whatsoever of ‘blogging’, so we can be thankful for small mercies. That would not be as good as live Friday night coverage, but we might have to be thankful for small mercies. This year it was not a matter of life and death there were no lives at stake so we must be grateful for small mercies. In any area of taxation policy, one must be grateful for small mercies as the Treasury and Inland Revenue are vigilant about protecting their fiscal base. The coach is thankful for small mercies these days. But, I expect, we have to be grateful for small mercies, however. Should be grateful for small mercies, I suppose. I suppose we should really be thankful for small mercies. Around it there is the lingering legacy of a relatively poor society in which it made sense to be grateful for small mercies. Okay, maybe all of this isn't really very much, but let's be thankful for small mercies shall we. The Minister is obviously learning from the tactics of the EU Commission and asking us to be thankful for small mercies in scaling down the level of increases to a level which is still punitive. It keeps us going a bit longer, and we must be grateful for small mercies. have mercy on (or upon) Show compassion or forgiveness to. 宽恕；对…有怜悯之心 may the Lord have mercy on her soul 愿主宽恕她的灵魂。 have mercy on the player and give him plenty of rests Example sentencesExamples And may he have mercy on us all, especially victims and abusers. O Allah, forgive me, have mercy on me, guide me aright and grant me sustenance. If God is all forgiving then he will have mercy on us for taking some drastic measures to defend the people. Let every community set a watch in prayer and uplift each other and may God have mercy upon our souls. If this is indeed the case, then may God have mercy on all our souls, for the problem is even deeper than I had previously feared. He begged his god's forgiveness and asked him to have mercy on his children. May the Lord have mercy on your soul,’ the judge said to a silent Cadette, who smiled as he was led out of the courtroom by police. ‘May the lord have mercy on your soul,’ Scott said. May Allah forgive all living and all dead and have mercy upon us all. And every mother prays for her son, May God forgive him and have mercy on him. Synonyms pardon, forgive, grant an amnesty to, amnesty leave someone/something to the mercy of Leave someone or something exposed to probable danger or harm. 听任…由（可能有危险或危害的形势）摆布 the forest is left to the mercy of the loggers 森林任凭伐木工随意砍伐。 Example sentencesExamples Under this constitution, rights are left to the mercy of predators such as Howard and expedient windbags like Beazley. Then they withdrew and left us to the mercy of tens of hooligans who locked us inside. If we had been left to the mercy of Aer Lingus and their fares we would have had to move to Brussels altogether. Without even a single Muslim family in the village, the mosque has been left to the mercy of local villagers. Directly on the other side of the stream were two very rundown thatched, whitewashed cottages that also looked as if they had been left to the mercy of the elements. Old widows in Mathura and Vrindavan are left to the mercy of the public to eke out an existence. Nor leave the country to the mercy of rape gangs and carjackers and then take the guns away. Our entire security set-up is VIP oriented and huge amount is being spent annually to provide security cover to the selected few leaving the common people to the mercy of God. Sleeping on the floor was out of the question and I couldn't go upstairs leaving Doug to the mercy of my parents. Since Robert left Jonathan to the mercy of the spiders, he has been in a deep depression. His plea for managers to be given clear objectives and left in peace was blamed for leaving banks to the mercy of spiv traders. Although, the Power Development Department has changed the electric poles in other parts of Srinagar city, but they have left this area to the mercy of God. I left my customers to the mercy of an extremely stoned and paranoid Benji, plagued by imaginary ringing bells, and sneaked off to the bar next door. We have left them to the mercy of extremist groups who have preyed on them at colleges and universities. And so the masses were left to the mercy of the soup kitchens, which were set up all over Ireland to bring relief. The chassis was bent and everything was badly corroded because it had been left to the mercy of the elements in an open barn. High street traders who had to close their stores after flash floods on Tuesday say their shops have been left to the mercy of the weather after gullies and drainage were removed. With a sigh of defeat she left Will to the mercy of Bastian. Earlier, more than 2.5 million residents along the Florida coast had evacuated their homes, leaving their possessions to the mercy of the storm. ‘With security non-existent, I am worried that when the matches start tomorrow we will be leaving our gear to the mercy of God, as anybody can walk in and cart our things away,’ said Leo. throw oneself on someone's mercy Intentionally place oneself in a situation in which one must rely on someone else to be compassionate or lenient towards one. she was tempted to go back and throw herself on the mercy of the landlady on this occasion we'll have to throw ourselves on the mercy of the court Example sentencesExamples I prayed to Jesus to help me many times and threw myself on his mercy. I confessed to knowing nothing about Italian cheese and threw myself on his mercy. I buzzed on the salon door, was let inside, and threw myself on his mercy. Origin Middle English: from Old French merci 'pity' or 'thanks', from Latin merces, merced- 'reward', in Christian Latin 'pity, favour, heavenly reward'. In the Latin of the early Christian Church, merces, which had meant simply ‘reward’ in classical times, came to be used for ‘heavenly reward’ and also ‘pity, favour’. These are the senses in which mercy first appears in the Middle Ages. The phrase to be thankful for small mercies is first recorded in Sir Walter Scott's novel The Heart of Midlothian, published in 1818. Rhymes arsy-versy, Circe, Percy, pursy noun.1 phr. Definition of mercy in US English: mercy nounˈmərsēˈmərsi 1Compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one's power to punish or harm. 慈悲，怜悯；仁慈，宽容 the boy was screaming and begging for mercy 男孩尖叫着乞求宽恕。 the mercies of God 上帝的慈悲。 Example sentencesExamples In fact, the Prime Minister's compassion and mercy have absolutely nothing to do with his charitable feelings towards her. Such an image of God may also be of our own making, but it at least provides us with a vision of hope and faith in a God of grace, mercy, and compassion. She had killed without mercy and used her power and beauty to manipulate people into doing whatever she wanted. All of us afflicted by landlords merely vow to hate them without mercy for the entire day. The person with the lower voice is in the authority position, in that she is the one causing harm and from whom mercy is begged. According to her some of the most important aspects that an individual needs to possess in life are love, passion, affection, mercy and compassion for the poor. When I am put into a position of control by a social phenomenon like the Sims, where I get insane pleasure from killing without mercy, well, I begin to wonder. A swarm of dark elves jumped down from the trees and fell upon the humans, slaying them without mercy for harming one of their companions. They will kill you and those you love without mercy. ‘We will wage a war without mercy against the terrorists’ he warned. We must find him for ourselves a God of grace, mercy, love and power, for that is what he really is. The only moral action is kill the terrorist without mercy or regret, and thus protect innocent lives against future acts of terrorism. Could Hashem not find it within His infinite mercy to forgive Moshe's one sin? He metes out justice without mercy, with no compassion for any man, an insult to your grandfather's legacy, and your father's. They intended to exploit his fame; they treated him without mercy in hope that he would break and make propaganda broadcasts. Anyone who revolted against his or her superior could be punished without mercy. There are instances in which Mohammed behaved harshly and unjustly in his dealings with people and without mercy towards his enemies. He could hear them beg for mercy within their minds however; he would not extend any, at least not yet. The man in the white coat holding the dart gun looked up as Aidan came down him without mercy and blinded by fury and wrath. He must be henceforth treated like a moral leper to satisfy our conviction that endless ongoing punishment without mercy is ours to mete out to him forever. Synonyms leniency, lenience, clemency, compassion, grace, pity, charity, forgiveness, forbearance, quarter, humanity, humaneness, humanitarianism 1.1 An event to be grateful for, especially because its occurrence prevents something unpleasant or provides relief from suffering. 幸运；解脱 his death was in a way a mercy 某种意义上说，他的死是一种解脱。 Example sentencesExamples All occasions invite God's mercies, and all times are God's seasons. American Airlines was ridiculously accommodating, and that was a mercy. A priceless goal midway through the second half was a mercy in this impoverished era for the national side. We are thankful and grateful to God for His undeserved mercies. Finally, the Queen showed a little mercy, allowing the couple to meet once every year on the Silver River. It would be a mercy to end its existence, but he left it there, just tethering at the edge of death, wishing for it but not enough to fall over. Accordingly, the arrangement gives extraordinary protections to investors but leaves labor, the environment, and consumers to the mercies of the deregulated markets. Mind you, it wasn't a good meal, so perhaps it was a mercy. Given the sheer volume of my singing voice, this is a mercy. They are not killed, as are Easy Rider's dynamic duo, but death would seem a mercy in the face of the fate society seems to have in store for them. The Koran speaks of the advent of the Prophet as a mercy to the entire universe. The Blues, experiencing troubled times, are grateful for any mercies these days and they gratefully accepted the four points for a victory that nudges them ahead of Glasgow in the Celtic League. It didn't occur to us to wonder what they thought of us, which might have been a mercy. With a number of top-notch sides potentially lying in wait for Scotland in next month's play-offs, yesterday's success may yet prove a minuscule mercy. By experience we discover the Lord's mercies to be new every morning, and his faithfulness to be sure and dependable even when ours is weak. I guess it's a mercy that I'll be in an eagerly awaited training from 10-noon. Many an immigrants wrote back to their families in the villages applauding the mercies of Lord Ram in providing Shiv Sena, thanks to whose efforts we are alive today from the organized conspiracy of the Islamic Fundamentalists. Consistency has never been his forte, so perhaps we should be grateful for the mercies this album provides. It was, he says, a mercy that it happened so swiftly. I suppose we can be grateful for those (rather large) mercies. Synonyms blessing, godsend, boon, favour, piece of luck, stroke of luck 1.2as modifier (especially of a journey or mission) performed out of a desire to relieve suffering; motivated by compassion. （尤指旅行或使命）出于怜悯的 mercy missions to refugees caught up in the fighting 救助陷入战火的难民的人道主义任务。 Example sentencesExamples However, the mercy mission has proved controversial because it is being funded by taxpayers money - something some residents have complained about. Noreen took her 10-year-old grand-daughter on the mercy mission. A family holiday turned into a medical mercy mission as the family met specialists all over the United States to try and find a cure. A doctor from Tameside Hospital is joining a team of physicians on a mercy mission to help earthquake victims. After doctors warned last May that the two-year-old might not live to see his 10th birthday, they quickly embarked on their own mercy mission. A charity worker has thanked people in Harwich for their support ahead of a mercy mission to Romania. A school headteacher is to go on a mercy mission to Westminster in a last-ditch attempt to save seven of his pupils from deportation. A retired teacher is preparing to take part in a mercy mission to give poverty-stricken children in Eastern Europe a Christmas to remember. Philomena Smyth said the walk was the first fund-raising activity for the mercy mission. Fooled into thinking John was suffering from an incurable brain tumour, the friend, known as Mark, agreed to the killing as a mercy mission. The modern day Mrs. Claus is embarking on a mercy mission to Romania, to bring a little bit of Christmas spirit into the lives of orphaned children. The aid worker, who quit the army in 1992 to become a civilian engineering contractor, revealed how he turned down a well-paid job in Portugal to join the mercy mission. A bury optometrist has helped to safeguard the sight of many desperately poor Ugandans during a vital mercy mission with Vision Aid Overseas. One of those taking part in the mercy mission is 17-year-old Sarah. An aerial mercy mission answered the prayers of the monks of Caldey Island to watch the televised funeral of the Pope. Today very nearly featured a mercy mission to the local hospital, until the patient in question had the nerve to be discharged before Lisa and I could turn up with the grapes. Littleborough charity worker Glenda is off an a mercy mission to help children affected by the world's worst nuclear disaster. Listen to him long enough and it begins to sound like a crusade rather than a bid - a mercy mission for investors across the land. A Shipston dad is hoping to build up support for a mercy mission to a tsunami-hit Sri Lankan village. Simon is aware, he said, of the hardship and scenes of suffering which he is likely to encounter on his mercy mission. exclamationˈmərsēˈmərsi archaic Used in expressions of surprise or fear. 〈古〉表示惊愕或恐惧嗳呀 “Mercy me!” uttered Mrs. Garfield 迪戈里太太叫了一声：“嗳呀！” Example sentencesExamples Ah mean is it too much to ask for even a ‘throw your hands in the air’ a few ‘lawd a mercy!’ Oh and back to the skimpy caribana costumes. lawd a mercy! Phrases at the mercy of Completely in the power or under the control of. 任凭…的摆布，完全受…的支配 consumers were at the mercy of every rogue in the marketplace 顾客任凭奸商欺诈。 Example sentencesExamples Consumers were left at the mercy of the dishonest conduct in the finance sector. These policies have left us badly exposed and at the mercy of natural phenomena like drought. Ending up bobbing in the ocean at the mercy of what might be a confluence of different currents is another matter entirely. It's a nightmare that I suppose most people have of being naked and at the mercy of some strange power. I do not wish to sit in any accommodation at the mercy of a driver. You are at the mercy of Mother Nature and toil long, hard hours in the knowledge that you could earn more working in a supermarket. Even the excessive amount of time I am spending at the mercy of my employers is not enough to dampen my spirits. You have the power to order, consume, relax, but you are also incapacitated, at the mercy of the hotel machine. They in turn are at the mercy of the power companies for electricity to transmitters and relay stations. A factory job with all its miseries would be better than being at the mercy of this woman's power over your job and cottage. Try living at the mercy of all that for a bit then see how much big cities turn you off. She stared up into the face of a man that she had once been at the mercy of and felt her skin begin to crawl again. It was also less prosperous and secure, and more at the mercy of European power politics. So for at least two years an immigrant woman can be at the mercy of whatever her spouse wishes. I was quite literally at the mercy of the Inquisition and was completely unable to tell a lie. But all that is about to change, as Paul must lie at the mercy of a nurse. This very fact places the results at the mercy of culturally insensitive marketers. I think human beings in the 21st century are at the mercy of so many things. They are not simply private businesses at the mercy of businessmen. Once they descended into it they would be at the mercy of whatever hid behind its cloak. Synonyms in the power of, in the control of, under the control of, in the clutches of, in the palm of someone's hand, under the heel of, subject to defenceless against, unprotected against, vulnerable to, threatened by, exposed to, susceptible to, prey to, open to, wide open to, an easy target for be thankful (or grateful) for small mercies Be relieved that an unpleasant situation is alleviated by minor advantages. 庆幸不利情况已略有改善 Example sentencesExamples I suppose you should be grateful for small mercies - at least it's not Randy. A more fully balanced portrait of the production details would have been welcome, but we should be thankful for small mercies - Columbia provides nothing else, not even the trailer. Gratifyingly, the BBC report makes no mention whatsoever of ‘blogging’, so we can be thankful for small mercies. I was thankful for small mercies, though; there had been talk of me being dressed as a sumo wrestler. That's still a long time but I suppose we should be grateful for small mercies. I suppose we should really be thankful for small mercies. But he, and Scotland, have to be grateful for small mercies. Should be grateful for small mercies, I suppose. Patients should be grateful for small mercies. But, I expect, we have to be grateful for small mercies, however. That would not be as good as live Friday night coverage, but we might have to be thankful for small mercies. Must be grateful for small mercies, or so they say… Okay, maybe all of this isn't really very much, but let's be thankful for small mercies shall we. But be grateful for small mercies: at least they come in the right year. Around it there is the lingering legacy of a relatively poor society in which it made sense to be grateful for small mercies. The coach is thankful for small mercies these days. This year it was not a matter of life and death there were no lives at stake so we must be grateful for small mercies. It keeps us going a bit longer, and we must be grateful for small mercies. The Minister is obviously learning from the tactics of the EU Commission and asking us to be thankful for small mercies in scaling down the level of increases to a level which is still punitive. In any area of taxation policy, one must be grateful for small mercies as the Treasury and Inland Revenue are vigilant about protecting their fiscal base. have mercy on (or upon) Show compassion or forgiveness to. 宽恕；对…有怜悯之心 may the Lord have mercy on her soul 愿主宽恕她的灵魂。 Example sentencesExamples May Allah forgive all living and all dead and have mercy upon us all. ‘May the lord have mercy on your soul,’ Scott said. And every mother prays for her son, May God forgive him and have mercy on him. May the Lord have mercy on your soul,’ the judge said to a silent Cadette, who smiled as he was led out of the courtroom by police. If God is all forgiving then he will have mercy on us for taking some drastic measures to defend the people. O Allah, forgive me, have mercy on me, guide me aright and grant me sustenance. Let every community set a watch in prayer and uplift each other and may God have mercy upon our souls. And may he have mercy on us all, especially victims and abusers. He begged his god's forgiveness and asked him to have mercy on his children. If this is indeed the case, then may God have mercy on all our souls, for the problem is even deeper than I had previously feared. Synonyms pardon, forgive, grant an amnesty to, amnesty leave someone/something to the mercy of Expose someone or something to a situation of probable danger or harm. 听任…由（可能有危险或危害的形势）摆布 the forest is left to the mercy of the loggers 森林任凭伐木工随意砍伐。 Example sentencesExamples Then they withdrew and left us to the mercy of tens of hooligans who locked us inside. ‘With security non-existent, I am worried that when the matches start tomorrow we will be leaving our gear to the mercy of God, as anybody can walk in and cart our things away,’ said Leo. I left my customers to the mercy of an extremely stoned and paranoid Benji, plagued by imaginary ringing bells, and sneaked off to the bar next door. High street traders who had to close their stores after flash floods on Tuesday say their shops have been left to the mercy of the weather after gullies and drainage were removed. Sleeping on the floor was out of the question and I couldn't go upstairs leaving Doug to the mercy of my parents. Earlier, more than 2.5 million residents along the Florida coast had evacuated their homes, leaving their possessions to the mercy of the storm. Directly on the other side of the stream were two very rundown thatched, whitewashed cottages that also looked as if they had been left to the mercy of the elements. Under this constitution, rights are left to the mercy of predators such as Howard and expedient windbags like Beazley. Old widows in Mathura and Vrindavan are left to the mercy of the public to eke out an existence. If we had been left to the mercy of Aer Lingus and their fares we would have had to move to Brussels altogether. His plea for managers to be given clear objectives and left in peace was blamed for leaving banks to the mercy of spiv traders. The chassis was bent and everything was badly corroded because it had been left to the mercy of the elements in an open barn. With a sigh of defeat she left Will to the mercy of Bastian. We have left them to the mercy of extremist groups who have preyed on them at colleges and universities. Our entire security set-up is VIP oriented and huge amount is being spent annually to provide security cover to the selected few leaving the common people to the mercy of God. Nor leave the country to the mercy of rape gangs and carjackers and then take the guns away. And so the masses were left to the mercy of the soup kitchens, which were set up all over Ireland to bring relief. Without even a single Muslim family in the village, the mosque has been left to the mercy of local villagers. Although, the Power Development Department has changed the electric poles in other parts of Srinagar city, but they have left this area to the mercy of God. Since Robert left Jonathan to the mercy of the spiders, he has been in a deep depression. throw oneself on someone's mercy Intentionally place oneself in a situation in which one must rely on someone else to be compassionate or lenient towards one. Example sentencesExamples I buzzed on the salon door, was let inside, and threw myself on his mercy. I prayed to Jesus to help me many times and threw myself on his mercy. I confessed to knowing nothing about Italian cheese and threw myself on his mercy. Origin Middle English: from Old French merci ‘pity’ or ‘thanks’, from Latin merces, merced- ‘reward’, in Christian Latin ‘pity, favor, heavenly reward’. noun.1 phr.
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