relent

[ ri-lent ]

/ rɪˈlɛnt /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR relent ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used without object)

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

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.

Nearby words

releaser, releasing factor, releasing mechanism, relegable, relegate, relent, relentless, relenza, relevance, relevant, relevé

Origin of relent

1350–1400; Middle English < Medieval Latin *relentāre, equivalent to Latin re- re- + lentāre to bend, derivative of lentus flexible, viscous, slow

SYNONYMS FOR relent

1 bend, yield.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR relent ON THESAURUS.COM

Related forms

re·lent·ing·ly, adverbnon·re·lent·ing, adjectiveun·re·lent·ed, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for relenting

"I don't believe I quite meant it, do you know," says Julia, relenting.
Portia|Duchess
For a moment Annie showed signs of relenting, but as her glance fell upon the dress again, she hardened.
Much Ado About Peter|Jean Webster
The goddess, relenting, changed Arachne into a spider, and she continues her weaving to this day.
The Spell of Belgium|Isabel Anderson
She glanced up quickly in his face for some sign of relenting.
Guy Kenmore's Wife and The Rose and the Lily|Mrs. Alex McVeigh Miller

All wounds have scars, but that of fantasy; all affections their relenting, but that of womankind.
Raleigh|Edmund Gosse

British Dictionary definitions for relenting

relent

/ (rɪˈlɛnt) /

verb (intr)

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

Word Origin for relent

C14: from re- + Latin lentāre to bend, from lentus flexible, tenacious

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