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:
There’s little indication that purchase-price pressures will relent soon.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 13, 2026
Anthropic has made it clear that it won’t relent on limits on its models’ use.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 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
Only after she genuinely faints during a session, rather than perfectly executing the choreographed dramatic swoon, does he relent to a respite at their home in New York.
From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
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
“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
Do you foresee a day when the Prince estate relents and you can release the musical version with his songs on it?
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 10, 2023
She relents, and I’m off down the hallway with her right behind me.
From "Everything, Everything" by Nicola Yoon
The then Conservative government had a big majority and had opposed the bill, but in the face of public pressure, relented.
From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026
Then, it relented, acknowledging the passage didn’t exist and telling Turkle: “Oh, you are a tenacious and rigorous researcher.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 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
Perhaps, in the beginning, the wife might have relented.
From "In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson" by Bette Bao Lord
Iran’s leaders aren’t showing signs of relenting despite the continued attacks.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
But this has been a challenging season for Newcastle and it shows no signs of relenting.
From BBC ● Feb. 4, 2026
He made that argument repeatedly, starting several decades ago and relenting only recently.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 24, 2025
Amazon, seemingly confident that the price will be small, has shown no signs of relenting.
From Salon ● Dec. 19, 2024
“Brave heartP said the kestrel. “Might we give him the Triumph Song?” asked Balin, relenting.
From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White
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.
