Relent

/ɹɪˈlɛnt/ · noun

Meaning

A stay; a stop; a delay..

Definitions by Sense

1. A stay; a stop; a delay.
2. (obsolete) A relenting.
3. (intransitive) To give in or be swayed; to become less hard, harsh, or cruel; to show clemency.
4. (intransitive) To slacken; to abate.
5. (obsolete, transitive) To lessen, make less severe or intense.
6. (dated, intransitive, of substance) To become less rigid or hard; to soften; to yield, for example by dissolving or melting
7. (obsolete) Softhearted; yielding.

Example Sentences

There was no relent, my dear, as we pulled each other in.

The pistons of this engine moved without relent.

She forward went[…] Ne rested till she came without relent Unto the land of Amazons.

He had planned to ground his son for a month, but relented and decided to give him a stern lecture instead.

Can you, my Lord of Winchester, behold My sighs and tears and will not once relent?

Only the valley where Sish rested when he and Time were young did Sish not provoke his hours to assail. There he restrained his old hound Time […] For the minds of the gods relent towards their earliest memories, who relent not otherwise at all.

I did, I suppose, hope that she might finally relent a little and make some conciliatory response or other.

We waited for the storm to relent before we ventured outside.

Synonyms for relent

Antonyms for relent

Related Words

Word Forms

• relents
• relenting
• relented
• more relent
• most relent

Usage Notes

Choose a synonym only when it preserves the intended meaning, tone, and grammar of the full sentence.

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