Definition

: to recover health and strength gradually after sickness or weakness

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.

Examples

According to the article, the athlete is still convalescing from her recent injury but expects to resume her training schedule by the end of the month.

“He was taken to a hospital in San Francisco, where he convalesced for the better part of 1942.” — Jamie Landers and Katelyn Keenehan, The Arizona Republic, 11 Nov. 2020