mercifully for

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "mercifully for" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to express relief or gratitude that something is favorable or beneficial in a given situation. Example: "Mercifully for the team, the storm passed quickly, allowing them to continue their outdoor event."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

53 human-written examples

The inning, mercifully for Kile, was over.

The New York Times - Sports

Mercifully, for the counters, there is no double counting.

The New York Times

It flies off Gardner's knee and mercifully, for him, wide.

The Guardian - Sport

Mercifully, for now at least, the walls are incomplete.

The New York Times - Arts

Mercifully for the Brazilians, the scoring stopped at seven.

The New Yorker

But mercifully for him it was not too late.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

7 human-written examples

Chubby Brown doesn't, mercifully, speak for Britain.

Independent

His astringent wit, deftly wielded erudition and allergy to dullness make Hitchens mercifully unfit for some of the political company he has kept.

The Guardian - Books

These three — Stu (Mr. Helms, Phil Mr. Cooper and Alan Mr. Galifianakisakis) — drive to Las Vegas from Los Angeles with another buddy, Doug Justin Barthaa), who seems much better adjusted than the others, which is to say blander and duller, and who mercifully vanishes for most of the picture.

The New York Times

Velasquez followed Veitch's instructions and, for the last half-mile, Affirmed and Alydar traded noses in a breathtaking run that had everyone involved mercifully wishing for the finish line.

The New York Times - Sports

When he fouled out with 1 27 left in the game, the Red Storm had kicked the ball away too many times -- 18 compared with the Pirates' 15 turnovers -- and a long night was mercifully ending for Mike Jarvis.

The New York Times - Sports

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "mercifully for" to express relief when an undesirable situation is avoided or lessened, emphasizing the fortunate outcome for a specific individual or group.

Common error

Avoid using "mercifully for" in contexts that lack a sense of potential adversity or hardship. It's best suited for scenarios where the outcome could have been significantly worse.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "mercifully for" functions as an adverbial phrase, modifying a clause or sentence to express relief or gratitude that something did not turn out as badly as it could have. Ludwig AI confirms this usage through numerous real-world examples.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

100%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Science

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "mercifully for" is a commonly used phrase to express relief that a negative situation has been avoided or lessened. According to Ludwig AI, it is grammatically correct and frequently appears in News & Media contexts. The phrase functions as an adverbial modifier, expressing a subjective sense of relief. Alternatives like "fortunately for" or "thankfully for" can be used to convey similar meanings. When using the phrase, ensure it's employed in situations where a genuine sense of potential adversity exists to maintain its intended impact.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

fortunately for

Replaces "mercifully" with "fortunately", emphasizing luck or good fortune in the situation.

thankfully for

Substitutes "mercifully" with "thankfully", highlighting gratitude for the positive outcome.

luckily for

Uses "luckily" instead of "mercifully", focusing on the role of chance or good luck.

happily for

Replaces "mercifully" with "happily", suggesting a joyful or pleasant outcome.

by good fortune for

Emphasizes the element of chance and positive luck influencing the situation.

by a stroke of luck for

Highlights a sudden and unexpected event of good fortune.

auspiciously for

Indicates that the outcome is favored by good omens or signs.

providentially for

Suggests that divine intervention or foresight has led to a favorable outcome.

to the relief of

Shifts the focus to the relief experienced by someone due to a positive outcome.

to the benefit of

Emphasizes the advantages or positive consequences resulting from a particular situation.

FAQs

How can I use "mercifully for" in a sentence?

Use "mercifully for" to express relief when something negative is avoided or lessened. For example, "Mercifully for the team, the rain stopped before the game started".

What's a good alternative to "mercifully for"?

Alternatives include "fortunately for", "thankfully for", or "luckily for", which all convey a similar sense of relief or good fortune.

Is "mercifully for" formal or informal?

"Mercifully for" is suitable for both formal and informal contexts, though it is often found in news and media where a slightly elevated tone is common.

What does "mercifully for" imply?

"Mercifully for" implies that a potentially negative situation was avoided or mitigated, bringing relief to the person or group mentioned.