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:
The heat is expected to relent a bit by the weekend with temperatures in the mid-80s and even a chance of light showers Sunday as Hurricane Rachel continues its path across the Pacific Ocean.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026
Burney held her ground and eventually had to involve the school’s administration when the mother refused to relent.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 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
I would say something like “good-bye, dearest sister of mine,” and Judy would burst into tears, and Daddy would be so touched, he’d relent and take us all home.
From "The Lions of Little Rock" by Kristin Levine
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
They argue over who will get to ride the gryphon but Widget relents when Celia tells them the story of the nine-tailed fox just behind it, which suddenly sounds much more appealing.
From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq relented and tried to resume the Test, but by then umpire Hair and partner Billy Doctrove had awarded the match to England.
From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2026
Her mother ultimately relented and let her daughter attend art school, but Kusama ached to stretch beyond the country’s traditional Nihonga painting style.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 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
Finally he relented to get us off his back.
From "The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate" by Jacqueline Kelly
Iran’s leaders aren’t showing signs of relenting despite the continued attacks.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
The relatively benign positioning outlook then allows JPMorgan to concentrate more on the fundamental momentum that shows no signs of relenting in the tech/AI space that is now broadening out into industrials and financials.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 4, 2026
Now, it seems, the nuclear engineers are relenting.
From BBC ● Feb. 10, 2026
With migration showing no sign of relenting, the standoff at Gate 36 seems destined to continue.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 27, 2024
“Oh, all right, come in, then, come in,” said Slughorn, relenting.
From "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" by J.K. Rowling
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.
