relapser
|re/laps/er|
🇺🇸
/rɪˈlæpsər/
🇬🇧
/rɪˈlæpsə/
one who relapses
Etymology
'relapser' originates from English, specifically formed from 'relapse' plus the agentive suffix '-er'.
'relapse' comes from Medieval/Latin 'relapsus', from Latin 'relabi' (re- 'again' + labi 'to slip'), and 'relapser' was created in modern English by adding '-er' to 'relapse'.
Initially Latin 'relabi' meant 'to slip back' or 'to fall back'; over time this developed into the sense of 'a return to a former state' and now 'relapser' denotes 'one who returns to a previous (usually undesirable) state or behavior'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a person who relapses — someone who returns to a previous undesirable state or behavior (for example, resumed substance use or recurrence of symptoms) after a period of improvement or recovery.
After several months of being sober, he unfortunately became a relapser and returned to drinking.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/12/26 12:02