Standard Lemma guide

mercilessly

adv · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈmɜːsɪləslɪ/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: M ER1 S AH0 L AH0 S L IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adv

Meaning 1

In a merciless manner.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • She mercilessly read off the list of his wrongs in front of their friends.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adverb

Meaning 2

without pity; in a merciless manner

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • he was mercilessly trounced by his opponent in the House

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: pitilessly, unmercifully, remorselessly

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English merciless Middle English -ly English -ly English mercilessly From merciless + -ly.

Across languages

Translations

19 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Azerbaijani: amansızcasına — in a merciless manner
  • Azerbaijani: amansızlıqla — in a merciless manner
  • Catalan: despietadament — in a merciless manner
  • Czech: nemilosrdně — in a merciless manner
  • Esperanto: senkompate — in a merciless manner
  • Finnish: armotta — in a merciless manner
  • Finnish: armottomasti — in a merciless manner
  • French: sans pitié — in a merciless manner
  • Ancient Greek: ἀνελεημόνως (aneleēmónōs) — in a merciless manner
  • Polish: bezlitośnie — in a merciless manner
  • Polish: bezpardonowo — in a merciless manner
  • Portuguese: impiedosamente — in a merciless manner
  • Spanish: despiadadamente — in a merciless manner
  • Swedish: skoningslöst — in a merciless manner
  • Turkish: acımasızca — in a merciless manner
  • Turkish: acımasızcasına — in a merciless manner
  • Turkish: zalimce — in a merciless manner
  • Turkish: zalimcesine — in a merciless manner
  • Turkish: zalimane — in a merciless manner