convalesce
verb
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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 comes from the Latin verb convalescere, which combines the prefix com-/con-, meaning "with, together, jointly," with the verb valescere, meaning "to grow strong." Valescere, in turn, is related to the verb valēre, meaning "to be strong or be well," which is also an ancestor of prevail, valor, value, and valid.
Examples of convalesce in a Sentence
William E. Lori, Baltimore Sun, 24 Apr. 2025
Its harm is felt when a reporter accosts a convalescing patient in the hospital, when a private detective peers through a neighbor's bedroom window for weeks, and when a photographer snaps an opportunistic photo of a woman's underwear.
—ArsTechnica, 8 Apr. 2025
Rick though seems disgruntled — about the location and the food, and about the fact that the resort’s co-owner is convalescing from an illness in Bangkok and isn’t around.
—Noel Murray, New York Times, 17 Feb. 2025
According to Lindbergh, Brown contracted pneumonia while convalescing from a fall.
—Michael Gfoeller and David H. Rundell, Newsweek, 16 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for convalesce
Cite this Entry
“Convalesce.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/convalesce. Accessed 21 May. 2025.
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convalesce
verb
Medical Definition
convalesce
intransitive verb
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