Synonyms

relent

American

[ri-lent] / rɪˈlɛnt /

verb (used without object)

to soften in feeling, temper, or determination; become more mild, compassionate, or forgiving.

Synonyms:

yield, bend
to become less severe; slacken.

The winds relented.

verb (used with object)

Obsolete. to cause to soften in feeling, temper, or determination.
Obsolete. to cause to slacken; abate.
Obsolete. to abandon; relinquish.

relent British

/ rɪˈlɛnt /

verb

to change one's mind about some decided course, esp a harsh one; become more mild or amenable
(of the pace or intensity of something) to slacken
(of the weather) to become more mild

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

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."

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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:

relent relents relented relenting

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

That’s been the overwhelming motivation for residents in this neighborhood, who have refused to relent against an erratic landslide that has presented challenge after challenge.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 24, 2025

Then surely the High King would relent and put the crown on the head of the prince with the most power, the one with the military on his side.

From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black

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

Although he's caught and returned to base, once he fulfills a crucial duty, Woodham relents and allows James to visit home.

From Salon ● Feb. 19, 2024

In the end, he relents, and hands the keys over to Jacqui.

From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman

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

The legal maneuvering continued for months, right up until an hour before they were set to enter a courtroom, at which point James relented.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 31, 2026

Per Haskell had railed at him and called him a fool for the expense, but eventually he’d relented.

From "Six of Crows" by Leigh Bardugo

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

Controversially, the Premier League opted out for two seasons before relenting and following the rest of Europe's top leagues from 2022-23.

From BBC ● Mar. 27, 2026

“Nope, not at all,” Foster continued, before finally relenting.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 1, 2024

“I ... I was just looking . . .” “Looking . . . ?” She smiled suddenly, relenting a little.

From "Black Boy" by Richard Wright

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023