merciful
Kind and forgiving instead of punishing.
merciful in a sentence
- The merciful king spared the thief, giving him work in the kitchens instead of prison.
- The merciful teacher let us retake the quiz instead of handing out detentions.
Try an 11+ style question
Verbal reasoning papers often ask about a word like this.
Which word is closest in meaning to merciful?
- Amean
- Bcruel
- Cforgiving
- Dharsh
Show the answer
C: forgiving. The other three mean the opposite of merciful.
Which word is most nearly opposite in meaning to merciful?
- Aforgiving
- Bgentle
- Ccruel
- Dkind
Show the answer
C: cruel. The other three mean nearly the same as merciful.
Words that mean something similar
forgiving, kind, gentle
Words that mean the opposite
cruel, harsh, mean
More words about character & personality
- meticulous: Very careful about every tiny detail.
- miserly: Mean with money and hating to spend it.
- modest: Not boasting about your talents or success.
- mortal: Certain to die one day, like all living things.
- naive: Believing things too easily because you have not yet learned how tricky people can be.
- noted: Well known and respected, especially for a particular skill.
- notorious: Famous for something bad.
- objective: Based on facts rather than on personal feelings.
More words to explore
Sitting the 11+ in Kent, Medway or Buckinghamshire?
Plain-English guides to each test, from the councils’ own pages: Kent Test · Medway Test · Bucks Secondary Transfer Test