noun (plural mercies)
1 [U] a kind or forgiving attitude towards sb that you have the power to harm or right to punish:
to ask / beg / plead for mercy * They showed no mercy to their hostages. * God have mercy on us. * The troops are on a mercy mission (= a journey to help people) in the war zone.
2 [C,usually sing.] (informal) an event or a situation to be grateful for, usually because it stops sth unpleasant:
It's a mercy she wasn't seriously hurt. * His death was a mercy (= because he was in great pain).
seealsoMERCIFUL, MERCILESS
IDIOMS
at the mercy of sb/sth not able to stop sb/sth harming you because they have power or control over you:
I'm not going to put myself at the mercy of the bank. * We were at the mercy of the weather.
leave sb/sth to the mercy / mercies of sb/sth to leave sb/sth in a situation that may cause them to suffer or to be treated badly:
privatized companies left to the mercy of market forces * (humorous) I'll leave you to the tender mercies of these ladies!
throw yourself on sb's mercy (formal) to put yourself in a situation where you must rely on sb to be kind to you and not harm or punish you
moreatSMALLadj.
