relapse
noun
re·lapse
| \ ri-ˈlaps
, ˈrē-ˌlaps
\
, ˈrē-ˌlaps
\
Definition of relapse
(Entry 1 of 2)
1
: the act or an instance of backsliding, worsening, or subsiding
2
: a recurrence of symptoms of a disease after a period of improvement
relapse
verb
re·lapse
| \ ri-ˈlaps
\
\
relapsed;
relapsing
Definition of relapse (Entry 2 of 2)
1
: to slip or fall back into a former worse state
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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 relapseVerb
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: Noun
As its main objective, the trial evaluated whether Nuplazid significantly delayed a relapse to psychosis. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Positive results bring early halt to trial of dementia psychosis drug Nuplazid," 9 Sep. 2019 Demi Lovato, caught in a years-long cycle of drug addiction and recovery, has released not only inspirational documentaries about rehab, but also one eerily timely single about relapse. — Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, "The Real Message Behind Justin Bieber’s Drug Confession," 5 Sep. 2019 Some public-health experts also fear that a sustained nicotine habit, in the form of vaping, may increase a former smoker’s chances of relapse. — Jamie Ducharme, Time, "Daily E-Cigarette Use Can Help Smokers Quit, According to One of the Most Comprehensive Studies Yet," 24 July 2019 His portrayal this season, especially in the episodes where Schneider deals with the aftermath of his relapse, was a deft demonstration of how to handle addiction story lines with nuance and compassion. — Rachel Yang, EW.com, "One Day at a Time deserved way more Emmys love than its one nomination," 17 July 2019 For example, the study as a whole considered anybody who quit smoking from 2010 onward and found that, in that sample, vaping increased the risk of relapse. — Arman Azad, CNN, "Adults who vape are more likely to quit cigarettes, study finds," 15 July 2019 Investigators in Utah did not believe his comments were suicidal, though Nelson’s family thought he’d recently suffered a drug relapse. — James Queally, Los Angeles Times, "Utah man pleads not guilty in slayings of deputy at Jack in the Box and Russian snowboard champ in L.A.," 22 July 2019 Officials have announced a new aftercare program meant to help prison inmates in addiction recovery avoid relapse. — USA TODAY, "Crystal Cathedral reborn Catholic, 'Conjuring' house, Wiki ‘editathon’: News from around our 50 states," 11 July 2019 Its effects often wore off much sooner, exposing patients to a relapse of pain, withdrawal, or both – suffering relieved only by the next pill. — NBC News, "How judges added to the grim toll of opioids," 25 June 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
She was first diagnosed with advanced cancer in September 2015 and has relapsed twice following chemotherapy and other treatments. — Rubén Rosario, Twin Cities, "Rosario: Terminally ill, a retired social worker champions a “medical aid in dying” law," 10 Sep. 2019 So Jules goes off to the city without Rue, and Rue walks back home in tears, and then relapses upon her arrival. — Constance Grady, Vox, "Why Euphoria’s messy season finale could mean great things for the show’s future," 11 Aug. 2019 And studies, including the state's own research , also suggest forced treatment largely doesn't work and could raise the danger of overdose for those who relapse after treatment. — USA TODAY, "Could jail-based treatment be the answer to fatal opioid overdoses?," 10 Aug. 2019 The Food and Drug Administration approved Copiktra to treat chronic lymphocytic leukemia and small lymphocytic lymphoma in adult patients who relapse or don’t get better as a result of at least two prior therapies. — Jonathan Saltzman, BostonGlobe.com, "Verastem names Brian Stuglik as new CEO," 29 July 2019 About 4% of daily vapers who reported quitting after one year relapsed by the next year, compared to about 3% of non-vapers. — Jamie Ducharme, Time, "Daily E-Cigarette Use Can Help Smokers Quit, According to One of the Most Comprehensive Studies Yet," 24 July 2019 The catch, Chao said, is that chemoimmunotherapy begins and ends; ibrutinib must be taken indefinitely or until a patient relapses. — Michael Nedelman, CNN, "Chemo-free drug combo shows 'dramatic' improvement against common leukemia in adults," 31 July 2019 Olivia Stoy discovered in March her cancer had relapsed and needs the transplant no later than July, WSVN.com reported. — Alexandria Hein, Fox News, "Teen facing cancer relapse racing to raise $350G for crucial bone marrow transplant," 22 June 2018 More patients have relapsed with this latest update, so now nearly half of the patients remain responsive to the treatment. — Adam Feuerstein, STAT, "Bluebird Bio CAR-T delays multiple myeloma progression by one year, but is that enough?," 1 June 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'relapse.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for relapse
relapse
noun
English Language Learners Definition of relapse
(Entry 1 of 2)
: the return of an illness after a period of improvement
: a return to bad behavior that you had stopped doing
relapse
verb
English Language Learners Definition of relapse (Entry 2 of 2)
: to become ill again after a period of improvement in health
of an illness
: to return or become worse after leaving or improving for a period of time
: to return to a bad condition, form of behavior, etc.
See the full definition for relapse in the English Language Learners Dictionary
relapse
noun
re·lapse
| \ ri-ˈlaps
, ˈrē-ˌlaps\
, ˈrē-ˌlaps\
Kids Definition of relapse
(Entry 1 of 2)
1
: a return of illness after a period of improvement
2
: a return to a former and undesirable state or condition
a relapse into bad habits
relapse
verb
re·lapse