What does relented mean?
Relented means that someone or something stopped maintaining a strict, persistent, or severe course of action. The word is often used when a person, institution, or even the weather has resisted pressure for some time and finally gives way. For example, a council may relent after repeated objections and approve a proposal that it previously opposed. The word can also imply a temporary easing: a storm may relent, allowing the affected area to recover. Relenting generally suggests yielding after resistance rather than changing one's opinion for an unrelated reason. It is the past tense and past participle of relent, and is common in formal writing, journalism, and ordinary conversation in both British and American English.
verbTo become less persistent, strict, or severe, especially in response to resistance or pressure. It can also mean to stop trying to achieve something and yield.
- To become less persistent, strict, or severe, especially after pressure or resistance has been encountered.
- To stop pursuing a course of action and yield, often in response to persuasion or difficulty.
"After months of opposition, the council finally relented and approved the proposal."
"The weather remained harsh, but the storm finally relented before dawn."
"She would not relent in her efforts to persuade the committee."
"The landlord relented and reduced the rent after receiving several letters."
To relent is to soften your position; to relent means that resistance has finally given way to persistence.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does relented come from?
The word comes from relent, meaning to become less harsh or persistent, with the prefixed form relented expressing that an earlier position or condition has changed. Relent ultimately belongs to a family associated with the idea of softness or yielding, reflected in related words such as relentless and lenient. The form has long been established in English, especially in expressions describing people or forces that refuse to give way.
Related word forms
How relented is actually used
Relented is the past tense and past participle of relent. It is commonly used with a subject such as 'the government,' 'the council,' or 'the storm,' and can describe either a person or something nonhuman giving way to pressure.
Easily confused with relented
Relenting means becoming less persistent or severe, whereas repenting means feeling regret or sorrow for wrongdoing.