adjective

merciless

merciless, ruthless, cruel

The merciless sun beat down on the desert.

The merciless sun beat down on the desert.

He was a merciless critic of her work.

He was a merciless critic of her work.

merciless ((in sth.)) showing no mercy in (an action) The army was merciless in its attack.

Synonyms: ruthless, cruel, harsh; Antonyms: merciful, compassionate

Comes from 'mercy' + '-less' (without). It literally means 'without mercy'.

Think of someone who has 'less mercy', or no mercy at all. The suffix '-less' means 'without'.

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