relent
Americanverb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
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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
I Am Malala
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The Breadwinner
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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:
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 relent that I’m both a lapsed fashion student and someone who spent their adolescence and early teens marveling at Jacobs’ designs and Coppola’s films.
From Salon ● Mar. 27, 2026
“We will not relent until the enemy is totally and decisively defeated, but we do so on our timeline and at our choosing.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 10, 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
The tires’ screechy chatter only relents as the car picks up momentum in second gear.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 23, 2026
If James relents on his no-trade clause, the Lakers can send him to a contender for one last hurrah.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 9, 2024
“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
He grimaces, then relents, turning toward the other two boys.
From "Girl in the Blue Coat" by Monica Hesse
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
Germany, which had opposed the release, relented partly out of solidarity with countries such as Japan that were hit hard by the disruption to oil markets, one official said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 19, 2026
When the Allies threatened to invade, the Germans relented.
From "The War to End All Wars: World War I" by Russell Freedman
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
International reaction has sharpened as the fighting showed no sign of relenting.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 18, 2026
Three days later, the Dursleys were showing no sign of relenting, and Harry couldn’t see any way out of his situation.
From "Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets" 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.
