re·lent
verb/rɪˈlent/
/rɪˈlent/
(formal)Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they relent | /rɪˈlent/ /rɪˈlent/ |
| he / she / it relents | /rɪˈlents/ /rɪˈlents/ |
| past simple relented | /rɪˈlentɪd/ /rɪˈlentɪd/ |
| past participle relented | /rɪˈlentɪd/ /rɪˈlentɪd/ |
| -ing form relenting | /rɪˈlentɪŋ/ /rɪˈlentɪŋ/ |
- [intransitive] to finally agree to something after refusing
终于答应；不再拒绝 - ‘Well, just for a little while then,’ she said, finally relenting.
“好吧，不过只能待一会儿。”她最后终于答应了。 - The government has relented on this issue.
政府在这个问题上态度有所缓和。
- ‘Well, just for a little while then,’ she said, finally relenting.
- [intransitive] to become less determined, strong, etc.
变缓和；变温和；减弱 - After two days the rain relented.
两天后，雨势减弱了。 - The police will not relent in their fight against crime.
警方将继续严厉打击犯罪活动。 - The government considered making everybody pay the tax but relented.
政府曾考虑让每个人都缴税，但后来态度软化了。
- After two days the rain relented.
Word Originlate Middle English (in the sense ‘dissolve, melt’): based on Latin re- ‘back’ + lentare ‘to bend’ (from lentus ‘flexible’).