Unmerciful

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ʌnˈmɝsɪfl̩/

Definitions

1. Showing no compassion or forgiveness; cruel and harsh in treatment of others
2. Lacking any kindness or leniency when judging or responding to someone's mistakes or suffering
3. Excessively severe or relentless in punishment, without any consideration for circumstances or pleas for clemency

Etymology: "Unmerciful" is about as transparent as English compounds get: the prefix "un-", meaning "not," attached to "merciful," which itself is "merciful" built from "mercy" plus the suffix "-ful." Mercy came into English through Old French "merci" from Latin "merces," meaning "wages" or "reward," a sense that survives in its Latin relative "mercenary." The adjective took shape in Middle English, the period after the Norman Conquest when French and English were blending. Its earliest forms, "unmerciful" and "unmercifull," show the same spelling variation that many words of that era displayed before standard spelling settled. The word has stayed close to its original meaning ever since, describing treatment that offers no pity or relief.

Synonyms: cruel, merciless, ruthless, pitiless, heartless

Antonyms: merciful, compassionate, kind