relapse

1.

/riˈlæps/

deteriorate in health

2.

/ˈrilæps/

a failure to maintain a higher state

Other forms: relapsed; relapsing; relapses

A relapse is a decline, especially of someone's health. If your grandmother survived cancer only to have it return two years later, you could say she suffered a relapse.

Relapse implies that someone has recovered from an illness and slid back into a worse state, like when you are getting over a cold but then you suddenly feel bad all over again. Unwanted behavior can also be described this way; if you find yourself biting your nails again, it's a nail-biting relapse. The Latin word relabi is the root of relapse, slip back.

Definitions of relapse (/riˈlæps/)

1. verb

   deteriorate in health
   “he relapsed”

   synonyms: get worse

   type of:

   change state, turn

   undergo a transformation or a change of position or action
2. verb

   go back to bad behavior
   synonyms: fall back, lapse, recidivate, regress, retrogress

   type of:

   regress, retrovert, return, revert, turn back

   go back to a previous state