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relapse
This term carries a heavy sense of setback and regression, often evoking a feeling of disappointment or failure. It is most frequently used in medical or psychological contexts to describe the return of a disease or the recurrence of an addiction after a period of stability.
When used as a noun, it describes the event of falling back into a negative state. As a verb, it emphasizes the process of returning to that state, often paired with the preposition "into" when specifying the habit or condition being resumed.
Meanings
A deterioration in someone's state of health after a period of improvement.
The patient was recovering well until a sudden relapse occurred last week.
The act of falling back into a previous bad habit or addictive behavior.
After three years of sobriety, he suffered a relapse and began drinking again.
To suffer a deterioration in health after a period of improvement.
The patient relapsed shortly after being discharged from the hospital.
Examples
Phrasal Verbs
relapse into
to return to a previous bad habit, state of illness, or negative behavior
He feared he might relapse into his old patterns of anxiety.