1[uncountableU]KIND if someone shows mercy, they choose to forgive or to be kind to someone who they have the power to hurt or punish 仁慈;宽恕
He showed no mercy to his enemies.
他对敌人毫不仁慈。
God have mercy on his soul.
愿上帝宽恕他的灵魂。
beg/cry/plead for mercy
The boy was screaming and begging for mercy.
男孩尖叫着乞求宽恕。
2at the mercy of somebody/somethingCONTROLunable to do anything to protect yourself from someone or something 任凭某人/某物的摆布〔而无力保护自己〕
After the boat’s motor failed, they were at the mercy of the weather.
船的马达坏了,他们只能听命于天气了。
She was completely at his mercy.
她完全听任他的摆布。
Examples from the Corpus
at the mercy of somebody/something• With that relationship gone, they are at the mercy of more laws and more political meddling.• You are at the mercy of the man upstairs.• But like Jim, she soon found herself at the mercy of events.• Putting him at the mercy of men like you, Creller?• Once again Oliver is separated from his friends and left at the mercy ofstrangers.• Even compassion for a man so much at the mercy of his physicalurges.• With monarchy, the essential problem is that power is put at the mercy ofrelatives and genetics.• He says you're at the mercy of the elements and you just go where the weather takes you.• Having lost engine power, the boat's crew found themselves at the mercy of the wind.• Ten milesstraight up, at the mercy ofbears, leopards and tigers.
3mercy flight/mission etcHELPa journey taken to bring help to people 救援飞行/任务等
a mercy mission to help homeless refugees
帮助无家可归的难民的救援任务
Examples from the Corpus
mercy flight/mission etc• A Home Officespokeswomanconfirmed last night that Stansted would be used for all futuremercy flights.• It was the first and last time I was to fly on one of its mercy missions.• I had heard of the many mercy missions of the ruler's privateplanes.• They already have a Hercules plane running mercy missions to Sarajevo.• Soldiers now face the harshreality of their mercy mission in the barren country.• The authorities also believe if these mercy missionscontinue it could present long term problems.• With United Nations help, it's hoped this mercy mission will be the first of many.• Rivalwarlords are also holding up mercy missions with feuds over contracts to take food to drought-ravaged towns and villages.
4.leave somebody to somebody’s (tender) merciesDEAL WITHto let someone be dealt with by another person, who may treat them very badly or strictly – used humorously 任凭某人受他人折磨[摆布]〔幽默用法〕
5.throw yourself on somebody’s mercyFORGIVEto ask someone to help you or forgive you when you are in a very bad situation 乞求某人帮助[宽恕]自己
Examples from the Corpus
throw yourself on somebody’s mercy• For a cravenmoment she was tempted to go back and throw herself on the mercy of the landlady.• You're so sweet I just wanted to throw myself on your mercy and beg you to help me.• I would throw myself on the mercy of the circuit-house, usually reserved for travelingpoliticians and sundrybigwigs.
6it’s a mercy (that)spokenLUCKY used to say that it is lucky that a worse situation was avoided 幸运的是…,幸亏
It’s a mercy the accident happened so near the hospital.
幸亏事故发生在离医院很近的地方。
→ be thankful/grateful for small merciesat small1(13)
nCOLLOCATIONS
phrases
have mercy (on somebody) (=act in a kind or forgiving way - often used to express a hope or prayer)
‘God have mercy on me!’ Miss Barton cried.
show mercy (to somebody) (=act in a kind or forgiving way)
He showed no mercy to those who had angered him.
ask for mercy
The only thing I can do now is ask for mercy.
beg/plead for mercy (=ask in a desperate way for someone's mercy)
She continued the punishment, although they begged for mercy.
scream/cry for mercy
He screamed for mercy, shouting 'don't shoot!'.
adjectives
great mercy
God in his great mercy has forgiven you.
God's mercy
Will we still receive God's mercy if we refuse to repent?
divine mercy (=the mercy of God)
He did not lose his faith in God and divine mercy.
infinite mercy (=the quality of mercy that God has, which never ends)
He expressed his thanks for the infinite mercy of God in helping him escape from his own sinful life.
Examples from the Corpus
mercy• Mercy, mercy, mercy, he croaked, his first surrender to fatalism.• Priest: Lord, have mercy.• This man had no mercy on the people he killed.• It is not that they showed no mercy on the streets of Jericho.• We are at the mercy of our own detachment.• Even compassion for a man so much at the mercy of his physicalurges.• With monarchy, the essential problem is that power is put at the mercy of relatives and genetics.
beg/cry/plead for mercy• Their screams of horror and cries for mercy only brought a smile to my face.• In self-defense Jack calls on his stick, which beats the father until he cries for mercy.• Could make him cry for mercy.• The elder brother was shot in the stomach as he kneltpleading for mercy.• The killer was not hit but lay pleading for mercy.• Mad faces pushed against the grilles in the doors, tortured ones begging for mercy.• They cried for mercy but their pleas were met with abuse and laughter.• The class have to plead for mercy on his behalf, but the King's envoy will only accept written pleas.
Originmercy
(1100-1200)Old Frenchmerci, from Latinmerces“price paid, payment for work”, from merx“things for sale”