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show mercy to

[/ʃoʊ ˈmɜrsi tu/]
verb phrase
ter piedade de; mostrar misericórdia a
1. to treat someone with compassion and forgiveness instead of punishment or harshness
The judge decided to show mercy to the young offender.
O juiz decidiu ter piedade do jovem infrator.
2. to spare someone from harm or suffering
Please show mercy to the wounded animal.
Por favor, tenha misericórdia do animal ferido.
Synonyms
be merciful tohave compassion forspareforgivetake pity on
Antonyms
show no mercybe merciless topunish severelybe cruel to

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
ter piedade de; mostrar misericórdia a
most common usage across Brazil
São Paulo
ter dó de; compadecer-se de
informal alternative in conversational Portuguese
Portugal
ter compaixão por; mostrar clemência a
more formal usage in European Portuguese

Related Idioms & Phrases

show someone the ropes
give someone a break
cut someone some slack
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