Hi! Will it be wrong if I used "unmerciful" but not "merciless" in the following context? Only "merciless" was given as the answer, I wonder if it is because only "merciless" can be used to describe something about degree, like the competition.[Image]

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I'm not sure on the grammatical technicality, but I'd say both are fine. I would have probably used 'merciless' as it is probably more commonly used than 'unmerciful,' but either word sounds fine to me.

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Nah. I think both are alternative options.

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Only ‘merciless’ is natural here. It just means ‘intense’ or ‘fierce’.

Being merciful or unmerciful is a choice made by someone. It doesn’t fit the situation.

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Both mean "without mercy".  The only reason I can see for preferring "merciless" is that it's less of a mouthful.