Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Relent
Re-lent′
(r?-l?nt′)
, Verb.
I.
[
imp. & p. p.
Relented
; p. pr. & vb. n.
Relenting
.] 1.
To become less rigid or hard; to yield; to dissolve; to melt; to deliquesce.
[Obs.]
He stirred the coals till
The wax again the fire.
relente
ganThe wax again the fire.
Chaucer.
[Salt of tartar] placed in a cellar will . . . begin to
relent
. Boyle.
When opening buds salute the welcome day,
And earth,
And earth,
relenting
, feels the genial ray. Pope.
2.
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.
Can you . . . behold
My sighs and tears, and will not once
My sighs and tears, and will not once
relent
? Shakespeare
Re-lent′
,Verb.
T.
1.
To slacken; to abate.
[Obs.]
And oftentimes he would
relent
his pace. Spenser.
2.
To soften; to dissolve.
[Obs.]
3.
To mollify ; to cause to be less harsh or severe.
[Obs.]
Re-lent′
(r?-l?nt′)
, Noun.
Stay; stop; delay.
[Obs.]
Nor rested till she came without
Unto the land of Amazons.
relent
Unto the land of Amazons.
Spenser.
Webster 1828 Edition
Relent
RELENT'
,Verb.
I.
1.
To soften; to become less rigid or hard; to give.In some houses, sweetmeats will relent more than in others.
When op'ning buds salute the welcome day, and earth relenting feels the genial ray.
[This sense of the word is admissible in poetry, but is not in common use.]
2.
To grow moist; to deliquesce; applied to salts; as the relenting of the air.Salt of tartar - placed in a cellar, will begin to relent.
[This sense is not in use.]
3.
To become less intense. [Little used.]4.
To soften in temper; to become more mild and tender; to feel compassion. [This is the usual sense of the word.]Can you behold my tears, and not once relent?
RELENT'
, v.t.1.
To slacken.And oftentimes he would relent his pace. Obs.
2.
To soften; to mollify. Obs.RELENT'
,pp.
RELENT'
,Noun.
Definition 2024
relent
relent
English
Noun
relent (plural relents)
(Can we add an example for this sense?)
Derived terms
Translations
Verb
relent (third-person singular simple present relents, present participle relenting, simple past and past participle relented)
- 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.
- He relented of his plan to murder his opponent, and decided just to teach him a lesson instead.
- I did, I suppose, hope that she might finally relent a little and make some conciliatory response or other. (from "The Remains of the Day" by Kazuo Ishiguro)
- Shakespeare
- Can you […] behold / My sighs and tears, and will not once relent?
- 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.
- (obsolete, transitive) To lessen, make less severe or fast.
- 1590, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene, III.iv:
- But nothing might relent her hastie flight; / So deepe the deadly feare of that foule swaine / Was earst impressed in her gentle spright [...].
- 1590, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene, III.iv:
- (dated) To become less rigid or hard; to soften; to yield; to dissolve; to melt; to deliquesce.
- Boyle
- [Salt of tartar] placed in a cellar will […] begin to relent.
- Alexander Pope
- When opening buds salute the welcome day, / And earth, relenting, feels the genial ray.
- Boyle
Translations
become less severe, soften in temper
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