relapse

verb
UK: /rɪˈlæps/
US: /ˈriːlæps/

  1. To start behaving or acting in a way that is not acceptable or has been overcome.

    1. He tried to stop, but he did relapse after a month.
    2. The patient seemed to be recovering well, but then they relapse.

  2. To become ill again after making an improvement or recovering from a previous illness.

    1. She was getting better, but had a relapse this week.
    2. After a period of improvement, the patient suffered a relapse and had to return to the hospital.

Synonyms

recurrence reversion regression
relapse noun

  1. The act of becoming ill again after improvement, or a return to bad behavior.

    1. His relapse was a setback to his recovery.
    2. The doctor was concerned about the patient's risk of relapse after treatment ended.

  2. A return to a previous worse condition after making progress.

    1. The country's relapse into recession affected many families.
    2. The patient experienced a relapse of symptoms after discontinuing the medication.

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "relapse" in English means: To start behaving or acting in a way that is not acceptable or has been overcome., To become ill again after making an improvement or recovering from a previous illness..

The phonetic transcription of "relapse" is /rɪˈlæps/ in British English and /ˈriːlæps/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "relapse": recurrence, reversion, regression.

Example usage of "relapse": "He tried to stop, but he did relapse after a month.". More examples on the page.