relent
verb
re·lent ri-ˈlent 
relented; relenting; relents
intransitive verb
1
a
: to become less severe, harsh, or strict usually from reasons of humanity
b
: to cease resistance : give in
2
: let up, slacken
transitive verb
obsolete : soften, mollify
Synonyms
- blink
- bow
- budge
- capitulate
- concede
- give in
- knuckle under
- quit
- submit
- succumb
- surrender
- yield
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Our application was initially refused, but the city relented in the end and the permit was issued. They had refused to pay and relented only after being threatened with a lawsuit. The winds would not relent.
Recent Examples on the Web If the story breaks big, your provider will be under major pressure to relent, or a sympathetic public could help with something like a GoFundMe campaign. 
Kevin Dupzyk, Men's Health, 17 Aug. 2022 To sign the deal, the indigenous organizations had to relent on some items on their 10-point list of demands, including an end to privatizations planned by the administration of the former banker Lasso. Stephan Kueffner, Bloomberg.com, 30 June 2022 Nike would eventually relent, altering contracts so female athletes weren’t penalized for having babies. Paul Newberry, ajc, 12 Aug. 2022 If the dry, hot spell does not relent, swaths of England could face drought next month, according to the U.K. Environment Agency. Ellen Francis, Washington Post, 26 July 2022 International sanctions have restricted sales of Russia’s enormous stocks of oil and natural gas in an effort to pressure the country’s strongman leader, Vladimir V. Putin, to relent. New York Times, 16 July 2022 By the time the unemployment rate rises enough or inflation subsides enough for this Fed to relent, the impact of those past actions will continue to be felt for several more quarters. Robert Barone, Forbes, 10 July 2022 This public suggestion could have been done for any number of reasons—perhaps to put pressure on FIFA itself to relent in aggressive, high-dollar licensing requests, lest EA Sports take both its literal and figurative ball and go home. Sam Machkovech, Ars Technica, 24 Mar. 2022 The forces arrayed against gun control will not relent. Los Angeles Times, 25 May 2022 See More
Kevin Dupzyk, Men's Health, 17 Aug. 2022 To sign the deal, the indigenous organizations had to relent on some items on their 10-point list of demands, including an end to privatizations planned by the administration of the former banker Lasso. Stephan Kueffner, Bloomberg.com, 30 June 2022 Nike would eventually relent, altering contracts so female athletes weren’t penalized for having babies. Paul Newberry, ajc, 12 Aug. 2022 If the dry, hot spell does not relent, swaths of England could face drought next month, according to the U.K. Environment Agency. Ellen Francis, Washington Post, 26 July 2022 International sanctions have restricted sales of Russia’s enormous stocks of oil and natural gas in an effort to pressure the country’s strongman leader, Vladimir V. Putin, to relent. New York Times, 16 July 2022 By the time the unemployment rate rises enough or inflation subsides enough for this Fed to relent, the impact of those past actions will continue to be felt for several more quarters. Robert Barone, Forbes, 10 July 2022 This public suggestion could have been done for any number of reasons—perhaps to put pressure on FIFA itself to relent in aggressive, high-dollar licensing requests, lest EA Sports take both its literal and figurative ball and go home. Sam Machkovech, Ars Technica, 24 Mar. 2022 The forces arrayed against gun control will not relent. Los Angeles Times, 25 May 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Middle English, to melt, soften, from Anglo-French relenter, from re- + Latin lentare to bend, from lentus soft, pliant, slow — more at lithe
First Known Use
15th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a
Kids Definition
relent
verb
re·lent ri-ˈlent
relented; relenting
1
: to become less severe, harsh, or strict
The wind relented by evening.
2
: to give in after first resisting or refusing My dad finally relented and increased my allowance.
relents
verb
1
as in succumbs
to cease resistance (as to another's arguments, demands, or control) the supervisor finally relented in the face of the petition, and allowed employees to take longer lunch breaks Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- succumbs
- submits
- concedes
- surrenders
- capitulates
- budges
- bows
- acquiesces
- blinks
- yields
- quits
- gives in
- says uncle
- defers
- throws in the sponge
- knuckles under
- throws in the towel
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- resists
- contends
- confronts
- opposes
- meets
- fights
- defies
- counters
- faces
- breasts
- repels
- objects
- withstands
- thwarts
- combats
- holds off
- battles
2
as in subsides
to grow less in scope or intensity especially gradually the fury of the storm relented, and the next day the sun finally broke through the clouds Synonyms & Similar Words
- subsides
- diminishes
- decreases
- eases
- vanishes
- declines
- shrinks
- falls
- recedes
- wanes
- ebbs
- dwindles
- lessens
- abates
- lowers
- tapers
- weakens
- evaporates
- palls
- moderates
- remits
- tapers off
- phases down
- falls away
- de-escalates
- collapses
- compresses
- constricts
- relaxes
- slackens
- lets up
- condenses
- rachets (down)
- ratchets (down)
- alleviates
- dies (away or down or out)
- contracts
- drops (off)
- drains (away)
- deflates
- gives out
- sinks
- flags
- slows (down)
- fritters (away)
- tails (off)
- melts (away)
- peters (out)
- fades (away)
- caves (in)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- grows
- rises
- increases
- expands
- intensifies
- builds
- escalates
- enlarges
- accumulates
- soars
- emerges
- swells
- appears
- waxes
- mounts
- mushrooms
- picks up
- burgeons
- lengthens
- bourgeons
- distends
- snowballs
- elongates
- balloons
- blows up
- shows up