MEANING
To return to an illness, unwanted behavior, or worse condition after a period of improvement.
Use it for
Name a return to a harmful condition after apparent improvement.Show a character or situation slipping back into a condition that seemed to be improving.
Words that belong together
- relapse into illness
- relapse into old habits
- relapse after treatment
On the page
After weeks of calm, he relapsed into watching the road all night.
Nearby words
Opposite meanings
Word forms
- Base
- relapse
- Past tense
- relapsed
- Past participle
- relapsed
- Present participle
- relapsing
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- relapse
- Present continuous
- am/is/are relapsing
- Present perfect
- have/has relapsed
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been relapsing
- Past
- relapsed
- Past continuous
- was/were relapsing
- Past perfect
- had relapsed
- Past perfect continuous
- had been relapsing
- Future
- will relapse
- Future continuous
- will be relapsing
- Future perfect
- will have relapsed
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been relapsing
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
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Usage notes
Can describe illness, behavior, or a deteriorating state; it implies a return after improvement, not a first occurrence.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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