convalesce

verb

con·va·lesce ˌkän-və-ˈles

convalesced; convalescing

Synonyms of convalesce next

intransitive verb

: to recover health and strength gradually after sickness or weakness

He is convalescing from influenza.

convalescence

ˌkän-və-ˈle-sᵊn(t)s

noun

convalescent

ˌkän-və-ˈle-sᵊnt

adjective or noun

Did you know?

When you convalesce, you heal or grow strong after illness or injury, often by staying off your feet. The related adjective convalescent means "recovering from sickness or debility," and a convalescent home is a hospital for long-term recuperation and rehabilitation. Convalesce derives from the Latin verb convalescere, which combines the prefix com- ("with, together, jointly") with the verb valescere ("to grow strong"). Valescere, in turn, is related to the verb valēre ("to be strong or be well"), which is also an ancestor of prevail, valor, value, and valid.

Example Sentences

He is convalescing from his leg injuries. the long months that the soldier spent in the hospital slowly convalescing

Recent Examples on the Web The promotion felt temporary, a way to give the club more coverage in the outfield while Carroll convalesced. —

Nick Piecoro, The Arizona Republic, 12 May 2023 The hearing included a few testimonies, like this one, from an 18-year-old who’d just come back from treatment at Lexington. BOY: The convalescing period over there is very good. —

Carol Sutton Lewis, Scientific American, 30 Mar. 2023 But Americans didn’t always convalesce in hospitals. —

Seyward Darby, Longreads, 31 Jan. 2023 Since the government ended compulsory testing, letting people with mild symptoms test themselves and convalesce at home, authorities say the government can no longer provide a full accounting of the state of the latest infections. —

Julia Musto, Fox News, 7 Jan. 2023 Bow soon after entered Glendale Sanitarium to convalesce from the ordeal. —

Los Angeles Times, 20 Jan. 2022 Twenty critically endangered juvenile Kemp’s ridley sea turtles were flown from New England to the subtropical Florida Keys to convalesce at the Marathon Turtle Hospital after being rescued from Cape Cod Bay’s frigid coastal waters. —

orlandosentinel.com, 11 Dec. 2021 The rich with mild cases can convalesce at expensive hotels. —

New York Times, 5 June 2021 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'convalesce.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.