mercy killing
Death by compassion
Mercy killing is the act of ending a life to relieve suffering, typically when someone is terminally ill or in severe pain.
The term emphasizes compassionate motive rather than malice: The family debated whether mercy killing was the right choice for their dying father.
It overlaps with euthanasia but carries a more informal, sometimes euphemistic tone.
The phrase applies to animals as well as humans: The vet recommended mercy killing for the injured horse.
- lethal injectionCapital punishment by needle
- euthanasiaDeliberate death for relief
- assisted suicideHelping someone end life
- right to dieFreedom to end suffering
- right to choosePower to decide freely
terminal illness · pain and suffering · end of life care · death with dignity · patient autonomy · put to sleep · playing God · quality of life · living wills · self-determination · dying wish · passive euthanasia · pulling the plug · putting to death · death · end-of-life · goodbye · putting down
- Moral Dilemmastrolley problem, prisoner's dilemma, ticking bomb, tragic choice, euthanasia
- deathdead, deceased, corpse, mortality, demise
- bioethicsbioethics, medical ethics, genetic engineering, beneficence, non-maleficence
- literary deathdeath scene, deathbed, dying, corpse, funeral
- euthanasiaeuthanasia, assisted suicide, assisted dying, aid in dying, voluntary euthanasia
- killingshomicide, murder for hire, manslaughter, assassination, first-degree murder
mercy killingassassination
Murder of a prominent figure
revenge killing · contract killing · thrill killing · hate crime murder · premeditated murder
mercy killinglife support
Systems maintaining vital functions
life extension · extraordinary measures · aggressive treatment · resuscitation · life preservation
kill, mercy, killing, killer, killed, merciful, kills, merciless, overkill