Select the most appropriate ANTONYM of the given word.

Mercy

Sternness

The most appropriate antonym of the word mercy is sternness.

• Mercy means "compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone who is in one's power."
• Sternness means "severity or strictness."

The other words do not have the same meaning as mercy, so they are not its antonyms.

• Compassion means "a feeling of deep sympathy and pity for someone who is suffering."
• Benevolence means "the desire to do good to others."
• Grace means "a combination of beauty, elegance, and dignity."