relent
Americanverb (used without object)
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relents,
present (3rd person singular)
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relented,
past participle, past
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relenting
present participle
verb (used with object)
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relents,
present (3rd person singular)
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relented,
past participle, past
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relenting
present participle
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Obsolete. to cause to soften in feeling, temper, or determination.
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Obsolete. to cause to slacken; abate.
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Obsolete. to abandon; relinquish.
verb
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to change one's mind about some decided course, esp a harsh one; become more mild or amenable
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(of the pace or intensity of something) to slacken
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(of the weather) to become more mild
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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relentsimple
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relentssimple
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have relentedperfect
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has relentedperfect
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am relentingprogressive
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are relentingprogressive
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is relentingprogressive
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have been relentingperfect progressive
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has been relentingperfect progressive
Past
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relentedsimple
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had relentedperfect
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was relentingprogressive
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were relentingprogressive
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had been relentingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of relent
1350–1400; Middle English < Medieval Latin *relentāre, equivalent to Latin re- re- + lentāre to bend, derivative of lentus flexible, viscous, slow
Explanation
Being unwilling to relent is a good qualification for a sales person. You have to keep trying to make the sale and never give in until you've made it. The root of relent is the Latin lentus, which means "to slow down or soften." The original meaning, from the 15th century, most likely had to do with the heart — as in "to stop resisting love." Now, however, relent can have all manner of applications, but the meaning is always the same: to let up, soften, yield or give in. Often, you'll hear the adjective relentless used to describe someone who won't relent: "The firemen refused to relent; they banged relentlessly on the door until I woke up."
Vocabulary lists containing relent
The Breadwinner
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I Am Malala
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Twelve Days in May
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Wembanyama stops drive after drive, but the Knicks don’t relent.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 7, 2026
But data from last month showed apparel makers appeared to relent, as costs from the Iran war and the U.S.-led trade war pile up.
From MarketWatch ● May 12, 2026
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the Government "won't relent in our fight against antisemitism and terror".
From BBC ● Apr. 21, 2026
Sure, I can relent that “Project Hail Mary” is less urgent than this year’s best picture winner, “One Battle After Another,” and not as hyper-specifically relevant to our times as “Eddington.”
From Salon ● Mar. 21, 2026
I don’t relent until a police car pulls up, until I see red and blue lights flashing against the wall.
From "Warcross" by Marie Lu
When he finally relents, she discovers that the invading Nazi army has razed her shtetl and that its inhabitants, including her parents, are gone.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 2026
One agent blocks one of the men helping Parias by the car door, but quickly relents.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 31, 2025
“OK, I think I can,” he relents, before chortling and adding: “I seriously don’t want to.”
From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2024
But she relents, realizing Gabriel is the only genuine human relationship she has.
From Salon ● Mar. 25, 2024
I wait her out, and she relents, pulling her fingers from mine and sitting back down.
From "An Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir
Worn down by pestering, our parents relented and allowed ginger ale at Sunday dinner.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
After some back and forth, McElwee relented, letting Adrian try his slow zooms and dynamic shots.
From Salon ● Jul. 24, 2026
While Platner—whose lead in the race had evaporated after a previous wave of stories about his relationship history—has not yet relented, he has suggested that he’s reassessing his run.
From Slate ● Jul. 7, 2026
Ohtani eventually relented a second run with two outs in the fourth inning.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 4, 2026
I disabused him of this notion, and he relented, giving me all that I had sought.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
Iran’s leaders aren’t showing signs of relenting despite the continued attacks.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
He made that argument repeatedly, starting several decades ago and relenting only recently.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 24, 2025
The uncertainty and difficulties that have followed Sterling's career for 12 months show no sign of relenting.
From BBC ● Sep. 5, 2025
“Nope, not at all,” Foster continued, before finally relenting.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 1, 2024
Liam stared at him for a moment, before relenting.
From "The Darkest Minds" by Alexandra Bracken
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
