merciless

[ mur-si-lis ]

adjective

1. without mercy; having or showing no mercy; pitiless; cruel:

   a merciless critic.

   Synonyms: unsympathetic, inexorable, fell, unrelenting, relentless, hard

   Antonyms: compassionate

merciless

/ ˈmɜːsɪlɪs /

adjective

1. without mercy; pitiless, cruel, or heartless

Derived Forms

• ˈmercilessness, noun
• ˈmercilessly, adverb

Other Words From

• mer·ci·less·ly adverb
• mer·ci·less·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of merciless¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English mercyles; mercy, -less

Example Sentences

Like a harbinger of some twisted future, he speaks of a purge—a single, merciless day of reckoning — where lawlessness would be met with brutal reprisal.

From Salon

Gaza suffered under merciless attack for months before a toothless U.N.

From Los Angeles Times

Who wants to leave the theater remembering how unsettling it was initially to watch observant, good people ignore every protective instinct, a merciless commentary on our thirst-to-belong society?

From Los Angeles Times

She was merciless on Navarro's second serve, again going an early break up, but as the finish line came into sight, Sabalenka's nerves showed and she was broken when serving for the match.

From BBC

The lawyers for the sub-postmasters, who had the final say, were hard-hitting and merciless.

From BBC

Related Words

• barbarous
• callous
• cruel
• fierce
• grim
• harsh
• implacable
• inexorable
• inhumane
• relentless
• ruthless
• severe
• unforgiving
• unrelenting
• unsparing
• unyielding