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relapse

relapse

33 6.5
A return to being ill or to a bad habit after getting better
  • noun
  • /rɪˈlæps/
translation icon : recaída
  • One study found a 73% relapse rate at five years, and two-thirds of patients had multiple relapses.
  • relapse prevention
  • prevent relapse
  • risk of relapse

And people think of relapse as this huge failure.

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Examples

  • And the longer I go without a relapse, the less likely one becomes.

  • Abstinence from alcohol or other drugs is expected, but relapses are tolerated.

    Academic text (1997)
  • And people think of relapse as this huge failure.

  • I think fear of relapse for me is huge.

  • Poor vitamin D is associated with relapse after one month post treatment.

  • I just want to be real careful, not get up too soon, or else I'll have another relapse.

  • Indeed, the overall UCC relapse rate of 41% was lower than that typically reported.

    Academic text (2012)
  • And then only a few weeks later, literally, Doctor Brandt was diagnosed with the relapse of his cancer, as many of you know.

  • Other estimates place the relapse rate at about 90%, with nearly half of the relapses occurring within two years.

    Academic text (2012)
  • After months of recovery, his sudden relapse into old habits shocked everyone.

Synonyms

regression
vsrelapse
  • Specialized
17 7.6

A return to an earlier, less developed state in behaviour or skills

refers to return to a worse state after improvement rather than developmental change
backsliding
vsrelapse
3 7.2

A return to old bad habits after making progress

is the general return to worse health or behavior without moral tone
reversion
vsrelapse
3 6.9

A return to an earlier state or condition

specifies returning to a worse state after improvement rather than any change back
relapsing
vsrelapse
2 7.2

Returning to a bad condition after getting better

is the single event of returning rather than a continuing process
reoccurrence
vsrelapse
  • Specialized
1 6.2

The return of a disease or symptom after a time when the person gets better

is used more widely for health or behavior returning to a worse state
recrudescence
vsrelapse
  • Specialized
1 9.9

A return of a disease or problem after a time when things got better

is the broader return to a worse state not limited to inactivity or disease
lapsing
vsrelapse
1 6.6

A return to a worse state or to old bad habits

focuses on actual return after improvement rather than mere failure to maintain

Antonyms

619 1.1

A change that makes something better

How Serious

deterioration
43 5.9
recurrence
24 5.0
relapse
33 6.5
setback
148 3.6
to lapse
8 5.2

Surface Forms

relapse singular
relapses plural

Morphology

relapse = relapse (semi-transparent) = re + lapse

The noun is formed by conversion from the verb relapse, and the meaning is directly recoverable from that verb form.

Etymology

Relapse comes from the parts re- 'again' and lapse 'to slip', the same root as the common word lapse. So, a relapse (noun) is a 'slip back' into a worse state, like getting ill again or returning to old behaviour after a period of improvement.