relapser

1 8.4

A person who returns to unhealthy behavior after getting better

noun
/rɪˈlæpsər/

: recaído

After years of recovery, he became a relapser when he faced overwhelming stress.

But I, I just, I, I could never, I was a chronic relapser.

Examples

As a relapser, she struggled to maintain her progress after falling back into old behaviors.
I picked a handsome, rich kid junkie who was a chronic relapser that I'd been semi-friendly with.

Blog text (10)
Many people fear being a relapser when trying to overcome addiction or bad habits.

Synonyms

recidivist

vsrelapser

4 9.8

A person who keeps committing crimes after being punished

describes return to unhealthy states after improvement not criminal repetition

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vsrelapser

1 8.2

A person who goes back to bad habits after trying to change

focuses on return after improvement without implying active reform

reversionist

vsrelapser

9.9

A person who goes back to old bad habits

occurs after a clear improvement period rather than at any time

Surface Forms

relapser singular

relapsers plural

Morphology

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

The noun clearly means a person who relapses, using the common agentive suffix '-er'.

Etymology

Relapser comes from the parts re- meaning 'again' and lapse meaning 'to slip or fall'. So a relapser is someone who 'falls back' into a previous unhealthy or bad condition after a time of getting better.