Other forms: relented, relents, relenting
To relent is to soften and give way at last. He relented, the rain relented, refused to relent.
The at last is part of it — relenting follows resistance, which is what distinguishes it from simply agreeing. Of weather and pain it means easing. Note relentless, which is this word negated and much commoner; and that the Latin means to bend, from lentus, pliant.
1verbrelentTo soften and give way at last.
“Her parents finally relented and let her go to the concert.”
relent is a giving way.
Latin re plus lentare, to bend, from lentus, pliant or slow. Relentless is this word negated.
Latin
re-
Anglo-Norman
relentir
Middle English
relenten
English, today
relent
Built from
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.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA