relent

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.

noun

1. Stay; stop; delay.
   There was no relent, my dear, as we pulled each other in. 2015, Mel Parsons (lyrics and music), “First Sign of Trouble”
   The pistons of this engine moved without relent. 2016, Colson Whitehead, The Underground Railroad, Fleet (2017), page 193
2. (obsolete) A relenting.

verb

1. (intransitive) 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.
   I did, I suppose, hope that she might finally relent a little and make some conciliatory response or other. 1989, Kazuo Ishiguro, The Remains of the Day
2. (intransitive) 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. (obsolete, transitive) To lessen, make less severe or intense.
4. (dated, intransitive, of substance) 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. 1669, Robert Boyle, The History of Fluidity and Firmness

adj

1. (obsolete) softhearted; yielding