How do you use "Give/ask quarter" in a sentence?

No quarter was given in the battle. The competition gave no quarter. They asked for quarter but received none.

Give/ask quarter

Q: What does "Give/ask quarter" mean?

Show/request mercy To show mercy to a defeated enemy (give quarter) or request mercy (ask quarter). 'No quarter' means no mercy will be shown.

Slang Term BritishAmericanAustralian ★★★☆☆ Moderate Neutral

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Meaning: Show/request mercy

表示/请求宽恕

Mostrar/pedir clemencia

慈悲を示す／求める

자비를 베풀다/구하다

To show mercy to a defeated enemy (give quarter) or request mercy (ask quarter). 'No quarter' means no mercy will be shown.

对战败的敌人表示宽恕（give quarter）或请求宽恕（ask quarter）。'No quarter'意思是不会留情。

Mostrar clemencia a un enemigo derrotado (give quarter) o pedir clemencia (ask quarter). 'No quarter' significa que no se mostrará piedad.

敗北した敵に慈悲を示すこと（give quarter）や、慈悲を求めること（ask quarter）。「No quarter」は容赦しないという意味。

패배한 적에게 자비를 베푸는 것(give quarter) 또는 자비를 구하는 것(ask quarter)을 뜻한다. 'No quarter'는 일절 용서가 없음을 의미한다.

Examples

No quarter was given in the battle.
战斗中毫不留情
No se dio clemencia en la batalla
戦いでは一切の容赦がなかった
전투에서 일절 자비가 없었다.
The competition gave no quarter.
竞争中毫不手软
La competencia no dio tregua
競争は一切容赦なかった
경쟁에서 일절 봐주는 것이 없었다.
They asked for quarter but received none.
他们请求宽恕，但没有得到
Pidieron clemencia pero no la recibieron
彼らは慈悲を求めたが、得られなかった
그들은 자비를 구했지만 받지 못했다.

Pronunciation

Usage Guide

Context: formal, literary, sports

Tone: dramatic, serious

✓ Do Say

No quarter given
毫不留情
Sin clemencia
容赦なし
일절 자비 없음
Asked for quarter
请求宽恕
Pidió clemencia
慈悲を求めた
자비를 구하다

✗ Don't Say

Can sound dramatic in casual use
在日常场合使用可能显得过于戏剧化
Puede sonar dramático en un contexto informal
日常的な場面では大げさに聞こえることがある
일상적인 상황에서 쓰면 과장되게 들릴 수 있음

Common Mistakes

Using too dramatically

Origin & History

Medieval military term, possibly from the practice of paying a quarter of ransom for captured knights, or providing quarters (lodging) to prisoners rather than killing them.

Etymology: Medieval military, possibly from ransom or quarters

First recorded: 16th century

Cultural Context

Era: 16th century onwards

Generation: All generations

Social background: Universal

Pop culture: Historical fiction; Pirate films

Regional notes: Universal English, historical military.

Variations

Give quarterAsk quarterNo quarter