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Which Elizabethan play is the source of the quotation, "The quality of mercy is not strained"?

mercy

[mur-see] / ˈmɜr si /


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

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He added both he and his wife Rachel were "fairly certain it was neglectful" but did not realise the extent and were "at the mercy of what Alder Hey were telling us".

From BBC ● Oct. 31, 2026

That would require humility, mercy and the ability to admit they’re wrong.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2026

Hopkins said Williams’s computer-science program is largely “at the mercy of market trends,” and the drop in enrollment comes as a welcome reprieve.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 19, 2026

In recent months, the stores have only had a few pounds of rice and sugar for sale, leaving shoppers at the mercy of state-run supermarkets that operate in dollars or small private stores.

From Barron's ● Oct. 9, 2026

Ma Charles spat in the house without anything coming out and Big Ma called for a mercy.

From "Gone Crazy in Alabama" by Rita Williams-Garcia

The smallest of mercies for Celtic was that it stayed at three.

From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2026

Leaving it to another day to lay out guideposts for data-related warrants risked leaving Americans’ privacy to the tender mercies of zealous law enforcement and profit-minded corporations.

From Slate ● Jul. 1, 2026

Let us at least give thanks for small mercies.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 29, 2026

Suzanna’s problems include the apparent near-insolvency of her father upon his death—possibly jeopardizing her studies in psychology—and the untender mercies of her mother, Susan, played with delectable evil-queen imperiousness by Linda Emond.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 7, 2026

Forgive me, O Heavenly Father, according to the multitude of thy mercies.

From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver


Vocabulary lists containing mercy

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