Meanings
- not comparablerecovering one's health and strength after a period of illness; on the mend.
So soon as Lady Anne was pronounced convalescent by the medical men, she insisted on discharging "that odious woman," the nurse,...
1842, [anonymous collaborator of Letitia Elizabeth Landon], chapter XLVI, in Lady Anne Granard; or, Keeping up Appearances. […], volume II, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, page 2821 more example
"Mid-Lent, and the Enemy grins," remarked Selwyn as he started for church with Nina and the children. Austin, knee-deep in a dozen Sunday supplements, refused to stir; poor little Eileen was now convalescent from grippe, but still unsteady on her legs; her maid had taken the grippe, and now moaned all day: "Mon dieu! Mon dieu! Che fais mourir!"
1907 August, Robert W[illiam] Chambers, chapter IV, in The Younger Set, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, →OCLC - not comparableof convalescence or convalescents
She stayed in a convalescent hospital for two weeks before returning home.
plural convalescents
- A person recovering from illness.
I had been ill in health, but am now a convalescent.
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectivereturning to health after illness or debility
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latinconvalēscēn(t-)s
- Frenchconvalescent
- Englishconvalescent
From French convalescent, from Latin convalēscēn(t-)s, present participle of convalēscere (“to become strong or well”); see convalesce.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian оздравяващ, възстановяващ се
- оздравяващ (ozdravjavašt)recovering one's health and strength after a period of illness
- възстановяващ се (văzstanovjavašt se)recovering one's health and strength after a period of illness
Dutch recuperen
- recuperenrecovering one's health and strength after a period of illness
Finnish toipuva, toipilas-
- toipuvarecovering one's health and strength after a period of illness
- toipilas-of convalescence or convalescents
- toipilasrecovering person
German genesend, gesundend
- genesendrecovering one's health and strength after a period of illness
- gesundendrecovering one's health and strength after a period of illness
- de Genesung betreffendof convalescence or convalescents
- Genesende betreffendof convalescence or convalescents
- Genesenderecovering person
- Genesenderrecovering person
- Rekonvaleszentrecovering person
- Rekonvaleszentinrecovering person
- Gesundenderecovering person
- Gesundenderrecovering person
Māori mātūtū, tumahu
- mātūtūrecovering one's health and strength after a period of illness
- tumahurecovering one's health and strength after a period of illness
Polish rekonwalescent, rekonwalescentka
- rekonwalescentrecovering person
- rekonwalescentkarecovering person
Russian выздора́вливающий, поправля́ющийся
- выздора́вливающий (vyzdorávlivajuščij)recovering one's health and strength after a period of illness
- поправля́ющийся (popravljájuščijsja)recovering one's health and strength after a period of illness
Scottish Gaelic ath-shlàinteach, ath-shlàinteach
- ath-shlàinteachrecovering one's health and strength after a period of illness
- ath-shlàinteachof convalescence or convalescents
Turkish nekahet
- nekahetrecovering one's health and strength after a period of illness
Ukrainian той хто одужує, який одужує
- той хто одужує (toj xto odužuje)recovering one's health and strength after a period of illness
- який одужує (jakyj odužuje)recovering one's health and strength after a period of illness
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with convalescent
Cite this entry
convalescent. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/convalescent
“convalescent.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/convalescent. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “convalescent,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/convalescent.
Source: convalescent on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.