I. rə̇ˈlent, rēˈ- verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English relenten, perhaps from re- + Latin lentus flexible, slow — more at lithe
intransitive verb
1. obsolete : melt , liquefy
2. : to become less severe, harsh, or strict : become mollified, compassionate, or forgiving
when a second appeal, couched in more urgent terms, was dispatched to him, he relented — Bennett Cerf
3. : to let up : slacken
the wind blast would have to relent … nothing like that could keep on and on — G.W.Brace
transitive verb
1. obsolete : cause to be less harsh or severe : soften , mollify
2. obsolete : slacken , abate
oftentimes he would relent his pace — Edmund Spenser
3. obsolete : to give up
no discouragement shall make him once relent his … intent to be a pilgrim — John Bunyan
4. obsolete : repent , regret
Synonyms: see yield
II. noun
( -s )
archaic : an act of relenting, yielding, or slackening