relapse

American  

[ri-laps, ri-laps, ree-laps] / rɪˈlæps, rɪˈlæps, ˈri læps /

verb (used without object)

relapsed, relapsing

1. to fall or slip back into a former state, practice, etc..

   to relapse into silence.

2. to fall back into illness after convalescence or apparent recovery.

3. to fall back into vice, wrongdoing, or error; backslide.

   to relapse into heresy.

   Synonyms:

   lapse, revert, regress

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noun

1. an act or instance of relapsing.

2. a return of a disease or illness after partial recovery from it.

relapse British  

verb

1. to lapse back into a former state or condition, esp one involving bad habits

2. to become ill again after apparent recovery

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noun

1. the act or an instance of relapsing

2. the return of ill health after an apparent or partial recovery

Other Word Forms

• relapsable adjective
• relapser noun
• unrelapsing adjective

Etymology

Origin of relapse

First recorded in 1400–50; (for the verb) late Middle English, from Latin relāpsus “slid back,” past participle of relābī “to slide back, revert,” from re- re- + lābī “to fall, slide, make a mistake”; noun derivative of the verb

Example Sentences

Gaining a better understanding of how these drugs are stored and distributed inside cells could lead to more personalized treatment strategies, improving effectiveness while reducing resistance and relapse.

From Science Daily

Most patients experience a relapse, followed by rapid disease progression.

From Science Daily

“Obesity is a chronic, relapsing, biologically defended disease. The body defends its highest sustained weight. So when weight decreases, compensatory mechanisms intensify. GLP‑1s blunt these signals, but they do not eliminate them entirely.”

From The Wall Street Journal

According to the MS Trust, this treatment reduces the number of relapses by about 70%.

From BBC

“Obesity is a chronic, relapsing, biologically defended disease,” says Stanford.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• recidivism
• recurrence
• regression
• worsening