at the mercy of
English
Pronunciation
Audio (AU): (file)
Prepositional phrase
- (idiomatic) In the power of; defenceless/defenseless against.
- 1898, Winston Churchill, chapter 1, in The Celebrity:
- The stories did not seem to me to touch life. […] They left me with the impression of a well-delivered stereopticon lecture, with characters about as life-like as the shadows on the screen, and whisking on and off, at the mercy of the operator.
- The ball game is scheduled for Saturday, but we're still at the mercy of the weather.
Translations
defenseless against
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