Standard Lemma guide

convalesce

verb · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /ˌkɒn.vəˈlɛs/
  • US: /ˌkɑn.vəˈlɛs/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɛs
  • CMU ARPABET: K AA2 N V AH0 L EH1 S Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To recover health and strength gradually after sickness or weakness.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • The patient convalesced for six months after his stroke.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

get over an illness or shock

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The patient is recuperating

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: recuperate, recover

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: better, improve, ameliorate, meliorate

Narrower terms: perk up, perk, percolate, pick up, gain vigor, snap back

History

Etymology

From Latin convalēscere, from con- (intensive prefix) + valēscere (“to become strong”), inchoative of valēre (“to be strong”).

Across languages

Translations

17 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Azerbaijani: sağalmaq — to recover
  • Bulgarian: оздравявам (ozdravjavam) — to recover
  • Bulgarian: възстановявам се (vǎzstanovjavam se) — to recover
  • Chinese Mandarin: 療養 /疗养 (liáoyǎng) — to recover
  • Czech: zotavit se — to recover
  • Czech: uzdravit se — to recover
  • Finnish: toipua — to recover
  • German: genesen — to recover
  • Hungarian: lábadozik — to recover
  • Māori: mātūtū — to recover
  • Māori: tumahu — to recover
  • Portuguese: convalescer — to recover
  • Russian: выздора́вливать (vyzdorávlivatʹ) — to recover
  • Russian: вы́здороветь (výzdorovetʹ) — to recover
  • Russian: поправля́ться (popravljátʹsja) — to recover
  • Russian: попра́виться (poprávitʹsja) — to recover
  • Spanish: convalecer — to recover