for mercy's sake
1
9.3
- idiom
- Informal
- for mercy's sake, please help me with this difficult task!
Examples
-
- For mercy's sake, what is it?
-
I can't believe you forgot my birthday, for mercy's sake!
-
For mercy's sake, just tell me the truth already!
Synonyms
66
8.2
You say this when you feel very annoyed or impatient
55
7.6
People say it to show impatience or anger
43
9.9
A very rude phrase people say to show strong anger or annoyance
37
7.6
Say it when you are annoyed to ask someone to do or stop something
26
9.0
Shows someone is annoyed, impatient, or in a hurry when spoken
5
8.2
A person asks angrily and urgently for someone to act now
3
9.7
A strong spoken request or cry that shows shock and anger
2
9.9
Words people say when they are very annoyed or want something done quickly
1
9.9
To show strong frustration and make a request sound urgent
1
9.2
A strong word that shows annoyance and makes a request urgent
Antonyms
How Urgent
∞
1.0
- Informal
1
9.3
- Informal
55
7.6
- Informal
∞
5.4
∞
1.0
Surface Forms
Morphology
The components 'for' + 'mercy' + 'sake' transparently suggest an appeal to compassion or a plea ('for the sake of mercy'), so a learner who knows the words can infer a pleading/exclamatory force. However, its conventionalized pragmatic use as a general expression of exasperation or urgency (rather than a literal appeal to mercy) is idiomatic and requires exposure, making the phrase only partially predictable.
Etymology
For mercy's sake likely comes from people literally begging for mercy, a clear image of someone kneeling and asking another to 'show pity' in a desperate moment. So today we use it as a strong request or to show we are very annoyed, meaning 'please' or 'for goodness' sake'.