Ways to say it
| Italian | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| misericordia | /mi.ze.riˈkɔr.dja/ | feminine |
| compassione | /kom.pasˈsjo.ne/ | feminine |
| pietà | /pjeˈta/ | feminine |
| benevolenza | /be.ne.voˈlɛn.t͡sa/ | feminine |
| mercede | /merˈt͡ʃɛ.de/ | feminine |
| compatimento | /kom.pa.tiˈmen.to/ | masculine |
Depending on the context, Italian uses different words to express the concept of mercy. You might use a word to describe a spiritual or deep compassion, a word for the feeling of empathy for someone's suffering or a word to describe the absence of pity in a ruthless situation.
What does it mean word for word?
The word misericordia is composed of miseri (wretched or miserable) and cor/cordis (heart), which literally translates to 'having a heart for the wretched'.
Which one should you use?
misericordia is used for profound or religious mercy, often implying a spiritual quality. pietà is the most common term used when discussing a lack of mercy in contexts of ruthlessness or the absence of pity. compassione focuses more on the feeling of empathy or sympathy for another person's suffering rather than the act of granting mercy itself.
How does it change in a sentence?
The forms compassione, pietà, benevolenza, misericordia and mercede are all feminine nouns, while compatimento is a masculine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
misericordia is pronounced /mi.ze.riˈkɔr.dja/. It has 5 syllables, with the stress on the 4th syllable.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not use mercede to mean mercy. In Italian, this word actually means 'wage', 'reward' or 'fee'.
Did you know?
- While misericordia refers to the act of mercy, the word misericordie is used in Italy to describe voluntary charitable organizations that provide ambulance services and first aid.
- The word pietà does not just mean 'mercy' or 'pity'. It is also used to describe the specific artistic theme of the 'Pietà', which depicts the Virgin Mary cradling the dead body of Jesus.
- The English word 'mercenary', describing someone motivated solely by money, shares a distant linguistic connection to the Italian word mercede, which refers to a 'wage' or 'fee'.
Examples in context
- Non ci sarà pietà!There will be no mercy!This sentence is useful for expressing a forceful declaration of a lack of mercy using pietà.Tatoeba #12389513 by Guybrush88, translation #2612940 by PauloSamuel
- Non si aspetti pietà.Expect no mercy.This sentence is useful for advising someone that they should not expect mercy using pietà.Tatoeba #2557088 by Guybrush88, translation #2245486 by CK
- Il fuoco è senza pietà.Fire is without mercy.This sentence is useful for describing a relentless force using pietà.Tatoeba #4811657 by Guybrush88, translation #1671915 by loghaD
- Grazie per avermi dimostrato tanta misericordia.Thank you for showing me so much mercy.
- 26 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A man asks a woman for grace regarding a mistake.
- LorenzoTi chiedo solo un po' di misericordia.I only ask you for a little mercy.
- SofiaNon posso ignorare il tuo errore, Lorenzo.I cannot ignore your mistake, Lorenzo.
- LorenzoSii buona con me, ti prego.Be kind to me, please.
- SofiaLa mia misericordia ha un limite.My mercy has a limit.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “mercy” translations and entries misericordia, compassione, pietà, benevolenza, mercede, compatimento, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
