relapse

C1 Topic:Actions & Processes

US /ɹɪˈlæps/ See IPA manual

Freq #18334

Meanings

1

verb
To slip back into a bad habit or harmful behaviour after a period of improvement.

He stayed sober for a year before he relapsed.
2

verb
To become ill again after seeming to recover.

The patient relapsed a few weeks after leaving the hospital.
3

noun
A return to a worse condition, illness, or bad habit after improvement.

After months of progress, she suffered a sudden relapse.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to slip back into a bad... lapse

2 verb · to become ill again after... get worse

3 noun · a return to a worse... backsliding

Word family

Forms relapsedrelapsesrelapsing

Derived forms irrelapsablenonrelapsenonrelapsednonrelapsingprerelapserelapsablerelapser

Related forms remission

Etymology

From Latin relapsus, past participle of relabi (“to slide back, fall back”), from re- (“back”) + labi (“to slip, slide, fall”).

Topics

Actions & Processes

External links

# relapse

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C1
**Part of speech:** verb, noun
**IPA (US):** /ɹɪˈlæps/
**Frequency rank:** 18334

## Meanings
1. To slip back into a bad habit or harmful behaviour after a period of improvement.
2. To become ill again after seeming to recover.
3. A return to a worse condition, illness, or bad habit after improvement.

## Examples
- He stayed sober for a year before he relapsed.
- The patient relapsed a few weeks after leaving the hospital.
- After months of progress, she suffered a sudden relapse.

## Derived Forms
- irrelapsable
- nonrelapse
- nonrelapsed
- nonrelapsing
- prerelapse
- relapsable
- relapser

## Related Forms
- remission

## Etymology
From Latin relapsus, past participle of relabi (“to slide back, fall back”), from re- (“back”) + labi (“to slip, slide, fall”).

## AI Etymology
Relapse is from Latin relapsus, past participle of relabi (“to slide back, fall back”), from re- (“back”) + labi (“to slip, slide, fall”). The analysis is mainly morphological: the modern verbal form is built from the named base and affix. In present-day use, it can mean to slip back into a bad habit or harmful behaviour after a period of improvement, or to become ill again after seeming to recover. Related forms include remission. Derived formations include irrelapsable, nonrelapse, nonrelapsed, nonrelapsing, prerelapse.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

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