mercifully

2 definitions found

mercifully - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  Merciful \Mer"ci*ful\, a. [Mercy + -ful.]
     1. Full of mercy; having or exercising mercy; disposed to
        pity and spare offenders; unwilling to punish. Opposite of
        merciless.
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              The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious. --Ex.
                                                    xxxiv. 6.
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              Be merciful, great duke, to men of mold. --Shak.
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     2. Unwilling to give pain; compassionate.
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              A merciful man will be merciful to his beast. --Old
                                                    Proverb.
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     Syn: Compassionate; tender; humane; gracious; kind; mild;
          clement; benignant.
          [1913 Webster] -- Mer"ci*ful*ly, adv. --
          Mer"ci*ful*ness, n.
          [1913 Webster]

mercifully - WordNet (r) 2.1 (2005) :

  mercifully
      adv 1: in a compassionate manner; "he dealt with the thief
             mercifully"