Bad habits · Health
relapse
return to an unhealthy habit
To relapse means to return to an unhealthy habit after a period without it.
This vs that
He relapsed into gambling.
He gave up gambling.
Hear it in real life
How's Dan doing now?
He relapsed last month, but he's getting help again.
She relapsed into gambling after losing her job.
Which sounds natural?
Psst — which one would you actually say?
'Relapsed' is the normal concise way to describe returning to an addiction.
The mistake everyone makes
Not: He relapsed ‸ smoking after six months.
Say: He relapsed into smoking after six months.
Use “relapse into” before naming the habit; “relapse to” is also used by some speakers.
Say it together
Whole chunks natives use with it.
relapse into ___
He relapsed into gambling after losing his job.
She relapsed into smoking during a stressful period.
Phrases to borrow
More for talking about bad habits.
be tempted to ___
I was tempted to have another cigarette.
have a craving for ___
I had a craving for chocolate after dinner.
Bad habits words
Health · Bad habits: the words around “relapse”.
More connectionsMore bad habits words8
More bad habits words
Your turn: say it out loud
He relapsed.
Say it out loud two or three times, until it feels like yours.
relapse
return to an unhealthy habit
“She relapsed into gambling after losing her job.”
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