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relent

noun
/ɹɪˈlɛnt/

Etymology

From Middle English relenten, from Anglo-Norman relentir, from Latin re- + lentare (“to bend”), from lentus (“soft, pliant, slow”). Earliest recording dates to 1526.

  1. derived from re-
  2. derived from relentir
  3. inherited from relenten

Definitions

  1. A stay

    A stay; a stop; a delay.

    • 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.

  2. A relenting.

  3. To give in or be swayed

    To give in or be swayed; to become less hard, harsh, or cruel; to show clemency.

    • 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?
  4. ›+ 4 more definitions

    1. To slacken

      To slacken; to abate.

      • We waited for the storm to relent before we ventured outside.
      • He will not relent in his effort to reclaim his victory.

    2. To lessen, make less severe or intense.

      • But nothing might relent her hastie flight; / So deepe the deadly feare of that foule swaine / Was earst impressed in her gentle spright […]

    3. To become less rigid or hard

      To become less rigid or hard; to soften; to yield, for example by dissolving or melting

      • [Salt of tartar] placed in a cellar will […] begin to relent.
      • When opening buds salute the welcome day, / And earth, relenting, feels the genial ray.

    4. Softhearted

      Softhearted; yielding.

The neighborhood

Derived

relenter, relentful, relentingly, relentless, relentment, unrelented, unrelenting

Vish — recursive loop

A definitional loop anchored at relent. Each word in the ring is defined by the next; follow the chain far enough and it folds back on itself. Scroll to it and watch.

01relent02cruel03merciless04pitiless05ruthless06unrelenting07relenting08relents

A definitional loop anchored at relent. Each word in the ring appears in the definition of the next; follow the chain far enough and it folds back on itself.

8 hops · closes at relent

curated · pre-corpus. live cycle detection across the full graph is the next major milestone.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA