MEANING
To recover health and strength gradually after an illness, operation, or injury.
Use it for
Describe gradual recovery rather than the instant end of an illness.Use for a character slowly regaining strength after sickness, surgery, or injury.
Words that belong together
- convalesce at home
- convalesce after surgery
- convalescent care
On the page
After surgery, she convalesced in a quiet room facing the garden.
Nearby words
Opposite meanings
Word forms
- Base
- convalesce
- Past tense
- convalesced
- Past participle
- convalesced
- Present participle
- convalescing
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- convalesce
- Present continuous
- am/is/are convalescing
- Present perfect
- have/has convalesced
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been convalescing
- Past
- convalesced
- Past continuous
- was/were convalescing
- Past perfect
- had convalesced
- Past perfect continuous
- had been convalescing
- Future
- will convalesce
- Future continuous
- will be convalescing
- Future perfect
- will have convalesced
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been convalescing
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
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Usage notes
Usually intransitive and often followed by “after” or “at”; more formal and slower-sounding than “recover.”
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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