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

You’ve already flagged how the Electoral Count Act was repaired and some of its ambiguities tightened, but I think that one of the reasons you and your co-author professor Lessig are so merciless in your assessment of Hawley’s behavior is because unlike laws that you can rewrite and fix and clear up, you can’t fix people who are willing to violate the plain meaning of the law as amended.

From Slate

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

In a pulsating finish, Hull KR's defence resisted a merciless barrage from Warrington, who had two late scores overruled as they fell just short in the first play-off semi-final.

From BBC

This would seemingly make for a very obvious debate strategy: point out all the things that make Vance so reviled at every possible opportunity, hammer Vance for his unpopular policies, and be merciless with his less-than-winning personality.

From Slate

Related Words

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