compunction vs mercy

compunction

noun
  • A pricking of conscience or a feeling of regret, especially one which is slight or fleeting. 

mercy

noun
  • A tendency toward forgiveness, pity, or compassion. 

  • Instances of forbearance or forgiveness. 

  • A blessing; something to be thankful for. 

  • Forgiveness or compassion, especially toward those less fortunate. 

  • Relenting; forbearance to cause or allow harm to another. 

  • A children's game in which two players stand opposite with hands grasped and twist each other's arms until one gives in. 

verb
  • To feel mercy 

  • To show mercy; to pardon or treat leniently because of mercy 

intj
  • Expressing surprise or alarm. 

How often have the words compunction and mercy occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )