Meaning & use
relapse
Last updated
To fall back into a previous state, especially a former illness, bad habit, or negative behavior, after a period of improvement.
See it in a sentence
He relapsed into old habits within weeks of quitting smoking.
The patient relapsed after stopping the medication too early.
A note on using this word
Commonly used in medical and recovery contexts, such as addiction treatment or chronic illness management; also used as a noun ("a relapse").
Words with a similar meaning
regressbackslide
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
recoverimprove
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