relent means softhearted; yielding. Lexicurio rates it Rare gem — a strength score of 78 out of 100.
relent is pronounced /ɹɪˈlɛnt/.
Why “relent” is a great word
RELENT — [Verb] To become less severe, harsh, or determined; to yield or show mercy. From Middle English relenten, from Anglo-Norman relentir, ultimately from Latin re- (expressing intensive force) and lentus ("slow, pliant, soft"). Earliest recording dates to 1526. Unlike "persist," which emphasizes steady continuance without softening, or "surrender," which implies a complete capitulation, to relent is a quiet, internal thaw. It is the clenched jaw that loosens its grip, the winter storm easing into a steady rain, or the stern line of a mouth finally easing into a sigh—a quiet victory for pliancy over pressure.
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. The noun is from the verb.
adj
- Softhearted; yielding.
noun
- A stay; a stop; a delay.“There was no relent, my dear, as we pulled each other in.”
- A relenting.
verb
- 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.”
- To slacken; to abate.“We waited for the storm to relent before we ventured outside.”
- 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 […]”
- 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.”