show leniency
/ʃoʊ ˈliːniənsi/
Meaning
This phrase means to choose not to punish someone as severely as you could, or to act with mercy and forgiveness. It is often used when someone in authority, a parent, or a partner decides to be understanding instead of strict. The tone is compassionate but objective.
Examples
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Instead of grounding him for a month, his parents decided to show leniency since it was his first offense.
Instead of grounding him for a month, his parents decided to show leniency since it was his first offense.
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I know she made a mistake on the project, but I hope you can show some leniency given her recent personal struggles.
I know she made a mistake on the project, but I hope you can show some leniency given her recent personal struggles.
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The coach showed leniency and let the players off with a warning after they missed curfew.
The coach showed leniency and let the players off with a warning after they missed curfew.
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If you want your partner to show leniency when you mess up, you need to be willing to do the same for them.
If you want your partner to show leniency when you mess up, you need to be willing to do the same for them.
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The landlord showed leniency and waived the late fee because of the bank's system error.
The landlord showed leniency and waived the late fee because of the bank's system error.
Common Mistakes
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✗ She decided to show leniency on her brother.
✓ She decided to show leniency to her brother.
The preposition used with 'show leniency' is 'to' or 'toward', not 'on'.
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✗ I hope you can make leniency for my mistake.
✓ I hope you can show leniency for my mistake.
The standard verb collocation is 'show leniency', not 'make leniency'.
Related Expressions
Practice
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The manager decided to ___ after I explained why I was late.
💡 Be forgiving or merciful instead of punishing strictly.
Show answer
show leniency
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It is hard to ___ when someone repeatedly breaks your trust.
💡 Act with mercy or understanding.
Show answer
show leniency