1
: the act or an instance of backsliding, worsening, or subsiding
2
: a recurrence of symptoms of a disease after a period of improvement
relapsed; relapsing
1
: to slip or fall back into a former worse state
relapser
noun
Examples of relapse in a Sentence
Noun
Everyone thought she was well until a sudden relapse sent her back to the hospital.
a drug addict who has had a relapse
a drug addict who has a history of relapse
Verb
If you don't continue your treatment, you could relapse.
Malaria can relapse years after the original infection.
The country soon relapsed into chaos.
She stayed out of trouble for a long time, but then she relapsed into her old ways.
Recent Examples on the Web
Amanda Miller Littlejohn, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2025
The treatments range from oral medications to infusions to help ward off relapses, slow down the disease progression, and ease inflammation in the central nervous system.
—Cindy Krischer Goodman, Sun Sentinel, 28 Jan. 2025
Julia Marnin, Sacbee.com, 2 Apr. 2025
Gauthier started taking methadone while pregnant with her son, Parker, nearly three years ago and has yet to relapse.
—Kate Bolduan, CNN Money, 30 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for relapse
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Noun
Monitor Early Warning Signs of Burnout Burnout relapse doesn’t happen overnight.
—Amanda Miller Littlejohn, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2025
The treatments range from oral medications to infusions to help ward off relapses, slow down the disease progression, and ease inflammation in the central nervous system.
—Cindy Krischer Goodman, Sun Sentinel, 28 Jan. 2025
Verb
A day after arriving at the facility, Cartwright relapsed, according to a complaint provided to McClatchy News.
—Julia Marnin, Sacbee.com, 2 Apr. 2025
Gauthier started taking methadone while pregnant with her son, Parker, nearly three years ago and has yet to relapse.
—Kate Bolduan, CNN Money, 30 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for relapse
Cite this Entry
“Relapse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/relapse. Accessed 6 Apr. 2025.
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Medical Definition
: a recurrence of illness
especially
: a recurrence of symptoms of a disease after a period of improvement
a relapse after an 18-month remission —M. T. Fosburg et al.
compare recrudescence
M. T. Fosburg et al. relapse
2 of 2 intransitive verb
re·lapse
ri-ˈlaps 
relapsed; relapsing
: to slip or fall back into a former worse state (as of illness) after a change for the better
the patient relapsed twice in four years
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