relent
/rɪˈlɛnt
/verb [no object]
1Abandon or mitigate a severe or harsh attitude, especially by finally yielding to a request: she was going to refuse his request, but relented...
- Finally relenting to Mrs Perez's request, she said, ‘Alright, I'll do it now.’
- She saw the look in Adonea's eye soften, and she finally relented.
- One driver stubbornly resists letting his girlfriend into his cancer-stricken life but finally relents and lets her do the driving.
Synonyms
change one's mind, do a U-turn, back-pedal, back down, give way, give in, capitulate, yield, accede, come round, acquiesce;
soften, melt, weaken, unbend, become merciful, become lenient, have/show pity, have/show mercy, give quarter;
agree to something, allow something, concede something, admit something;
British do an about-turn
1.1Become less severe or intense: the rain relented...
- One man who might catch the eye when the rain relents to allow the game to start is Dwayne Smith.
- The atmospheric storm of wind and rain relented in time for the start but Cork ran into another of Waterford's making.
- But qualifying did go ahead yesterday as the rain relented to a drizzle though the track was still soaked.
Synonyms
ease off, slacken, let up, ease, ease up, relax, abate, drop, fall off, die down, lessen, decrease, diminish, moderate, subside, weaken, tail off
Origin
Late Middle English (in the sense 'dissolve, melt'): based on Latin re- 'back' + lentare 'to bend' (from lentus 'flexible').