Also:
be grateful for small mercies
thank God for small mercies
thank heaven for small mercies
Meaning of Idiom ‘Be Thankful for Small Mercies’
To be thankful for small mercies means to be relieved that a bad situation is not worse; to be happy that something is not as bad as it could have been; to be thankful for any small advantages or benefits, especially in a situation that is generally difficult or frustrating. 1,2,3
Sentence Examples
“I can’t believe my brand-new car is already damaged!” “Be thankful for small mercies. You could have been hurt in the accident.”
“They stole a bunch of stuff but we have insurance so let’s be thankful for small mercies.”
“I’ll keep my remarks brief,” said Mr. Shanks. “Thank God for small mercies!” yelled someone in the audience.
Origin
Used since at least 1800.
The word mercy in this idiom is used in the sense of an act of divine favor or compassion or a fortunate circumstance. For example: “It was a mercy that he was not killed and only got his leg broken!”
An early example is from The Heart of Midlothian by Walter Scott, 1818:
“I thank my stars.”
“Ye are thankfu’ for sma’ mercies, then,” said Mrs Howden, with a toss of her head. 4
References
- Ayto, John. [http://amzn.to/2vdGvI7 Oxford Dictionary of English Idioms]. Oxford: Oxford U, 2010.
- Kirkpatrick, Elizabeth M. The Wordsworth Dictionary of Idioms. Ware: Wordsworth, 1995.
- (Definition of grateful/thankful for small mercies from the Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)
- Tréguer, Pascal. “’To Be Thankful for Small Mercies’: Meaning and Origin.” Word Histories, 20 Feb. 2023, https://wordhistories.net/2023/02/20/thankful-small-mercies/.