RELENT

relent

Noun

  1. Stay; stop; delay.

Verb

  1. 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)
  2. 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.
  3. To lessen, make less severe or fast.
  4. To become less rigid or hard; to soften; to yield; to dissolve; to melt; to deliquesce.


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