What's the difference between diminish and relent?

Diminish


Definition:

  • (v. t.) To make smaller in any manner; to reduce in bulk or amount; to lessen; -- opposed to augment or increase.
  • (v. t.) To lessen the authority or dignity of; to put down; to degrade; to abase; to weaken.
  • (v. t.) To make smaller by a half step; to make (an interval) less than minor; as, a diminished seventh.
  • (v. t.) To take away; to subtract.
  • (v. i.) To become or appear less or smaller; to lessen; as, the apparent size of an object diminishes as we recede from it.

Example Sentences:

  • (1) Diminished CMD was most common with AR (7 of 12) but was also seen with acute tubular necrosis (2 of 6) and cyclosporin toxicity (2 of 3).
  • (2) If women psychiatrists are to fill some of the positions in Departments of Psychiatry, which will fall vacant over the next decade, much more attention must be paid to eliminating or diminishing the multiple obstacles for women who chose a career in academic psychiatry.
  • (3) The results indicated that the role of contact inhibition phenomena in arresting cellular proliferation was diminished in perfusion system environments.
  • (4) In vitro studies in cardiac Purkinje fibers suggested that reversal of amitriptyline-induced cardiac membrane effects by sodium bicarbonate may be attributed not only to alkalinization but also to increased in extracellular sodium concentration, diminishing the local anesthetic action of amitriptyline and resulting in less sodium channel block.
  • (5) Virus replication in nasal turbinates was not diminished while infection in the lung was suppressed sufficiently for the infected mice to survive the infection.
  • (6) The last stems from trends such as declining birth rate, an increasingly mobile society, diminished importance of the nuclear family, and the diminishing attractiveness of professions involved with providing maintenance care.
  • (7) In contrast, insertion of a pre-S(1) sequence between HBcAg residues 75 and 83 abrogated recognition of HBcAg by 5 of 6 anti-HBc monoclonal antibodies and diminished recognition by human polyclonal anti-HBc.
  • (8) In addition, the activity of the large cells diminished with time after primary immunization, but that of the small cells remained stable.
  • (9) The antibody reacted with adult as well as with cord red cells, and its reactivity was strongly diminished by treatment of the cells with neuraminidase and to a lesser degree by treatment with protease.
  • (10) The concomitant reduction in aortic pressure and increase in heart rate following total occlusion of the portal vein were most pronounced during the first weeks after stenosis, and were probably due to diminished venous return to the heart.
  • (11) Conversely, the latter diminished basal plasma glucose levels.
  • (12) Subsequently, the inflammatory reaction diminishes, as can be seen on smears from tympanic effusions.
  • (13) Both Apo AI (48%) and Apo AII (5.5%) were greatly diminished and Apo E was present in remarkably high amounts (39%) with two additional isoforms (Apo E'1 and Apo E'2).
  • (14) (3) The diminished autophosphorylation rate was due to a decreased responsiveness of the kinase activity to the action of insulin.
  • (15) The isoenzyme mobility diminished in both tumour chromatin extracts, and the slow migrating gamma isoenzyme exhibited sensitivity to L-cysteine inhibition.
  • (16) Segmental function was diminished an average of 67.8% in "noses" and 46.6% in "bridges".
  • (17) Flexion of the knee beyond 40 degrees progressively diminished viability of the edges of the wound, particularly the lateral edge.
  • (18) EEG waves were similar during Aw and Qw but they diminished in amplitude and frequency when passing from these states to Qs, and both parameters increased during As.
  • (19) After 3-5 days of side-arm traction, swelling had usually diminished sufficiently to allow the elbow to be safely hyperflexed to stabilize the fracture after elective closed reduction.
  • (20) In the patients with aplastic anaemia the iron flux was diminished, but never eliminated, demonstrating that the exchangeable compartment was not solely erythroblastic, but included non-erythroid transferrin receptors.

Relent


Definition:

  • (v. i.) To become less rigid or hard; to yield; to dissolve; to melt; to deliquesce.
  • (v. i.) To become less severe or intense; to become less hard, harsh, cruel, or the like; to soften in temper; to become more mild and tender; to feel compassion.
  • (v. t.) To slacken; to abate.
  • (v. t.) To soften; to dissolve.
  • (v. t.) To mollify ; to cause to be less harsh or severe.
  • (n.) Stay; stop; delay.

Example Sentences:

  • (1) There was no chance of Visca relenting and in the 32nd minute he crossed for Zukanovic, whose weak header was saved easily by Darren Randolph.
  • (2) Anas, a nurse, had wanted her children to stay but she relented and sold her gold jewellery when her son Salim found a way to get to Brazil, where he now has asylum after failing to reach the US.
  • (3) His face was found carved into tree trunks all over Celtic lands and his hold over the early Britons was so powerful that early Christians relented and adopted the green man's image as a force for good and a symbol of new life and renewal.
  • (4) Initially, the Cabinet Office resisted giving details of Nesta's investment saying it was commercially confidential, but later relented following advice from the audit office.
  • (5) But I also take seriously my responsibility to the American people Barack Obama Asked by Republican governors on Monday whether he might relent in the case of a pipeline extension that supporters argue will have negligible impact on greenhouse gas emissions but has been a totemic issue for environmentalists, Obama reportedly told the group it “ain’t gonna happen”.
  • (6) But he'd usually relent and read them by Wednesday."
  • (7) Kim Davis is out of jail – will she relent and issue same-sex marriage licenses?
  • (8) By the time people relent and sign on, they've exhausted every option.
  • (9) When the broadcasters relented and included the Greens, the prime minister suggested that the Democratic Unionist Party should be included.
  • (10) Apple has relented and sweetly smooth MMS implementation is now available.
  • (11) "I am surprised at this decision since China wants to promote openness and the rule of law, and I hope that they will relent and let me in.
  • (12) Fearful of the connections his son had been forming back home, his father reportedly confiscated Abedi’s passport, relenting only when his son told him he was going on a pilgrimage to Mecca.
  • (13) Patrick Bamford signs new Chelsea deal and makes Crystal Palace loan move Read more Mourinho maintains the Premier League champions have dealt with the move for the 21-year-old, which could break the record for an English defender, in the correct manner and he will not relent in his pursuit.
  • (14) Thus, unless factors independent of or complicating the calcium stone disease supervene, the renal insufficiency of treated patients remains mild and relently progressive.
  • (15) When he wouldn't relent, she draped him with a white rosary for safe passage.
  • (16) Miliband relented, and Balls took the exam, including clapping rhythmically, in the formal, unforgiving atmosphere music examiners love to generate.
  • (17) Merkel is apparently in Paris on Monday to thrash this issue out with Sarkozy, just four days ahead of the next EU Summit but Merkel is extremely unlikely to relent.
  • (18) But Cameron was forced to relent and let loose the Eurosceptics in cabinet, who have fanned out to hit the Sunday papers and broadcasts.
  • (19) The Kremlin, whose long slide into autocracy shows no sign of relenting, made deals with several of them, knowing it would be easier to keep them on side than to open up Russia's economy to proper procedures, competition, and fair trade.
  • (20) But he said that it would give Channel 4 more flexibility in how the programming budget was spent, assuming the advertising recession relents.