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Relent vs Resent - What's the difference?

relent | resent |

As verbs the difference between relent and resent

is that relent is to become less severe or intense; to become less hard, harsh, or cruel; to soften in temper; to become more mild and tender; to feel compassion while resent is to express or exhibit displeasure or indignation at (words or acts).

As a noun relent

is stay; stop; delay.

relent

English

Noun

(en noun)
  • Stay; stop; delay.

    • Derived terms

    * relentless

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To become less severe or intense; to become less hard, harsh, or cruel; to soften in temper; to become more mild and tender; to feel compassion.
    • He relented of his plan to murder his opponent, and decided just to teach him a lesson instead.
    I did, I suppose, hope that she might finally relent a little and make some conciliatory response or other. (from "The Remains of the Day"? by Kazuo Ishiguro)
  • * Shakespeare
    • Can you behold / My sighs and tears, and will not once relent ?
  • 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.
  • (obsolete) To lessen, make less severe or fast.
  • * 1590 , Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene , III.iv:
    • But nothing might relent her hastie flight; / So deepe the deadly feare of that foule swaine / Was earst impressed in her gentle spright [...].
  • (dated) To become less rigid or hard; to soften; to yield; to dissolve; to melt; to deliquesce.
  • * Boyle
    • [Salt of tartar] placed in a cellar will begin to relent .
  • * Alexander Pope
    • When opening buds salute the welcome day, / And earth, relenting , feels the genial ray.

    resent

    English

    (Webster 1913)

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl) resentir (Modern ressentir), from

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To express or exhibit displeasure or indignation at (words or acts).
  • * Bolingbroke
    • The good prince King James bore dishonourably what he might have resented safely.
  • To feel resentment.
  • *{{quote-book, year=1922, author=(Ben Travers), title=(A Cuckoo in the Nest)
    • , chapter=2 citation , passage=Mother very rightly resented the slightest hint of condescension. She considered that the exclusiveness of Peter's circle was due not to its distinction, but to the fact that it was an inner Babylon of prodigality and whoredom,
  • (obsolete) To be sensible of; to feel.
  • (obsolete) In a positive sense, to take well; to receive with satisfaction.
  • * Sir (Thomas Browne) (1605-1682)
    • which makes the tragical ends of noble persons more favorably resented by compassionate readers.
  • (obsolete) In a negative sense, to take ill; to consider as an injury or affront; to be indignant at.
  • (obsolete) To recognize; to perceive, especially as if by smelling; -- associated in meaning with sent, the older spelling of scent to smell. See resent (intransitive verb).
  • * Fuller
    • This bird of prey resented a worse than earthly savour in the soul of Saul.
  • * Fuller
    • Our King Henry the Seventh quickly resented his drift.
  • (obsolete) To give forth an odor; to smell; to savor.

    • Etymology 2

    See resend.

    Verb

    (head)
  • (resend)
    • The package was resent , this time with the correct postage.

    External links

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    Anagrams

    * English heteronyms