Standard Lemma guide

unmerciful

adj · 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.

  • General-American: /ʌnˈmɝsɪfl̩/
  • Received-Pronunciation: /ʌnˈmɜːsɪfl̩/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: AH0 N M ER1 S IH0 F AH0 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

not showing mercy

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: inhuman, merciless, pitiless, ruthless, barbarous, bowelless, brutal, compassionless, cruel, demonic, despiteful, diabolic, diabolical, fell, incessive, inclement, inhumane, malicious, nasty, nonhumane, remorseless, rotten, sadistic, savage, spiteful, truculent, unbenevolent, unbenign, unkind, unmerciful, unpitiful, unpitying

Antonyms: merciful

2

adjective

Meaning 2

having or showing no mercy

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the merciless enemy
  • a merciless critic
  • gave him a merciless beating

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: merciless

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From Middle English unmerciful, unmercifull; equivalent to un- + merciful.