What does relent mean?
Definitions for relent
rɪˈlɛntre·lent
This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word relent.
Princeton's WordNet
yield, relent, softenverb
give in, as to influence or pressure
Wiktionary
relentnoun
Stay; stop; delay.
relentverb
To become less severe or intense; to become less hard, harsh, or cruel; to soften in temper; to become more mild and tender; to feel compassion.
relentverb
To slacken; to abate.
relentverb
To lessen, make less severe or fast.
relentverb
To become less rigid or hard; to soften; to yield; to dissolve; to melt; to deliquesce.
The solid block attracted moisture from the air and relented into a thick brown liquour.
Etymology: From re- + lentus.
Samuel Johnson's Dictionary
To Relentverb
Apace he shot, and yet he fled apace,
And oftentimes he would relent his pace,
That him his foe more fiercely should pursue. Fa. Queen.Air hated earth, and water hated fire,
Till love relented their rebellious ire. Edmund Spenser.To RELENTverb
Etymology: ralentir, Fr.
In some houses, sweetmeats will relent more than in others. Francis Bacon.
In that soft season, when descending show’rs
Call forth the greens, and wake the rising flow’rs;
When opening buds salute the welcome day,
And earth relenting feels the genial ray. Alexander Pope.Crows seem to call upon rain, which is but the comfort they seem to receive in the relenting of the air. Francis Bacon.
Salt of tartar, brought to fusion, and placed in a cellar, will, in a few minutes, begin to relent, and have its surface softened by the imbibed moisture of the air, wherein if it be left long, it will totally be dissolved. Boyle.
All nature mourns, the skies relent in show’rs,
Hush’d are the birds, and clos’d the drooping flow’rs;
If Delia smile, the flow’rs begin to spring,
The skies to brighten, and the birds to sing. Alexander Pope.I have marked in you a relenting truly, and a slacking of the main career, you had so notably begun, and almost performed. Philip Sidney.
The workmen let glass cool by degrees in such relentings of fire, as they call their nealing heats, lest it should shiver in pieces by a violent succeeding of air. Kenelm Digby, on Bodies.
Can you behold
My tears, and not once relent? William Shakespeare, Henry VI.I’ll not be made a soft and dull-ey’d fool,
To shake the head, relent, and sigh, and yield
To christian intercessors. William Shakespeare, Merch. of Venice.Undoubtedly he will relent, and turn
From his displeasure. John Milton.He sung, and hell consented
To hear the poet’s pray’r;
Stern Prosperine relented,
And gave him back the fair. Alexander Pope.
ChatGPT
relent
To relent is to become less severe, harsh, or strict usually from reasons of humanity. It can also refer to the act of softening in attitude or temper, or giving up on a particular intense stance or position.
Webster Dictionary
Relentverb
to become less rigid or hard; to yield; to dissolve; to melt; to deliquesce
Relentverb
to become less severe or intense; to become less hard, harsh, cruel, or the like; to soften in temper; to become more mild and tender; to feel compassion
Relentverb
to slacken; to abate
Relentverb
to soften; to dissolve
Relentverb
to mollify ; to cause to be less harsh or severe
Relentnoun
stay; stop; delay
Etymology: [F. ralentir, fr. L. pref. re- re- + ad to + lentus pliant, flexible, slow. See Lithe.]
Chambers 20th Century Dictionary
Relent
rē-lent′, v.i. to slacken, to soften or grow less severe: to grow tender: to feel compassion.—adj. soft-hearted: yielding.—n. (Spens.) relenting.—adjs. Relent′ing, inclining to yield: too soft; Relent′less, without relenting: without tenderness or compassion: merciless.—adv. Relent′lessly.—ns. Relent′lessness; Relent′ment, the state of relenting: relaxation: compassion. [O. Fr. ralentir, to retard—L. relentescĕre—re-, back, lentus, pliant.]
Numerology
Chaldean Numerology
The numerical value of relent in Chaldean Numerology is: 6
Pythagorean Numerology
The numerical value of relent in Pythagorean Numerology is: 2
Examples of relent in a Sentence
Presley Ann/Getty Images -RRB- Penn:
Already a brutal mistake of lives taken and hearts broken, and if Vladimir Putin does n’t relent, I believe Vladimir Putin will have made a most horrible mistake for all of humankind.
And with today's settlement [ the Justice Department ] recovered over $ 9.5 million for victims of sexual harassment, we will not relent in our commitment to put an end to sexual harassment, combat discrimination based on gender and protect the rights of those in our LGBTQ + community.
What we've now got to do is not relent on the economic pressure until that goal is achieved.
While it may not sit well with manufacturers of abortion drugs, the U.S. Supreme Court has made it clear that regulating abortion is a state issue, i will stand strong for the life of the unborn and will not relent in our defense of this clearly constitutional law.
As we gather tonight, we must recognize that we've only come to the end of the beginning. Standing here in the first days of a post-Roe America, we must resolve that we will not rest, we will not relent until the sanctity of life is restored in the law of every state in the nation.
Popularity rank by frequency of use
References
Translations for relent
From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary
- خففArabic
- slitovat se, ochabnout, obměkčit se, povolit, smilovat se, změknoutCzech
- formildeDanish
- cederSpanish
- abandonnerFrench
- नरम पड़नाHindi
- placare, cedereItalian
- verzachten, smelten, milderen, oplossen, verslappen, meegeven, oponthoud, verblijfDutch
- a se înmuiaRomanian
- смягчатьсяRussian
- dịu dàngVietnamese
- 變寬厚Chinese
Get even more translations for relent »
Translation
Find a translation for the relent definition in other languages:
Select another language:
- - Select -
- 简体中文 (Chinese - Simplified)
- 繁體中文 (Chinese - Traditional)
- Español (Spanish)
- Esperanto (Esperanto)
- 日本語 (Japanese)
- Português (Portuguese)
- Deutsch (German)
- العربية (Arabic)
- Français (French)
- Русский (Russian)
- ಕನ್ನಡ (Kannada)
- 한국어 (Korean)
- עברית (Hebrew)
- Gaeilge (Irish)
- Українська (Ukrainian)
- اردو (Urdu)
- Magyar (Hungarian)
- मानक हिन्दी (Hindi)
- Indonesia (Indonesian)
- Italiano (Italian)
- தமிழ் (Tamil)
- Türkçe (Turkish)
- తెలుగు (Telugu)
- ภาษาไทย (Thai)
- Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
- Čeština (Czech)
- Polski (Polish)
- Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian)
- Românește (Romanian)
- Nederlands (Dutch)
- Ελληνικά (Greek)
- Latinum (Latin)
- Svenska (Swedish)
- Dansk (Danish)
- Suomi (Finnish)
- فارسی (Persian)
- ייִדיש (Yiddish)
- հայերեն (Armenian)
- Norsk (Norwegian)
- English (English)
Word of the Day
Would you like us to send you a FREE new word definition delivered to your inbox daily?
Citation
Use the citation below to add this definition to your bibliography:
Style:MLAChicagoAPA
"relent." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 26 Apr. 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/relent>.
Discuss these relent definitions with the community:
Report Comment
We're doing our best to make sure our content is useful, accurate and safe.
If by any chance you spot an inappropriate comment while navigating through our website please use this form to let us know, and we'll take care of it shortly.
Attachment
You need to be logged in to favorite.
Log In