Synonyms

convalesce

American

[kon-vuh-les] / ˌkɒn vəˈlɛs /

verb (used without object)

convalesced, convalescing

to recover health and strength after illness; make progress toward recovery of health.

convalesce British

/ ˌkɒnvəˈlɛs /

verb

(intr) to recover from illness, injury, or the aftereffects of a surgical operation, esp by resting

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of convalesce

1475–85; < Latin convalēscere to grow fully strong, equivalent to con- con- + valēscere to grow strong ( val ( ēre ) to be well + -escere -esce )

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Their parents and grandparents convalesced there and sometimes died there, cared for by nurses who were part of the community.

From Los Angeles Times

His medical team said all he needed was oxygen, and convalescing there was better than hospital with all its infections.

From BBC

During their tour, they met with the convalescing Pope at the Vatican and enjoyed a state banquet in their honour.

From BBC

And when he suffered a punctured lung against Manchester United on a tour of the States, he convalesced at the Los Angeles home of McElhenney.

From BBC

To convalesce, they stay in this compound, and exercise by walking around its well-ordered clusters of three-story buildings and a synthetic turf avenue with a playground and soccer field.

From Los Angeles Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023