recuperate

verb

re·​cu·​per·​ate ri-ˈkü-pə-ˌrāt 

-ˈkyü-

recuperated; recuperating

transitive verb

1

: to get back : regain

2

: to bring back into use or currency : revive

recuperate old traditions

intransitive verb

: to regain a former state or condition

especially : to recover health or strength

recuperation

ri-ˌkü-pə-ˈrā-shən 

-ˌkyü-

noun

Synonyms

• come back
• convalesce
• gain
• heal
• mend
• pull round [chiefly British]
• rally
• recoup
• recover
• snap back

Examples of recuperate in a Sentence

She took a day off to recuperate.

half the office was out today, many employees being sick or recuperating from the flu

Recent Examples on the Web

State visits are synonymous with packed schedules, and the Queen is simply taking more time to recuperate. —Janine Henni, People.com, 2 Dec. 2024

Take time to rest and recuperate, but don’t disengage. —Allie Volpe, Vox, 11 Nov. 2024

Miles Howard, founder and lead organizer of the Boston’s Walking City Trail, is often seen leading groups through the forests, wetlands, beaches, and industrial zones within the greater Boston area (or recuperating at a local watering hole or ramen counter). —Miles Howard, Outside Online, 17 Oct. 2024

But at a time when many writers have mined the Victorians to produce tidy love stories, McBride manages to recuperate the century-old pleasures of formal transgression. —Tomi Obaro, Vulture, 21 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin recuperatus, past participle of recuperare — more at recover

First Known Use

1542, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Kids Definition

recuperate

verb

re·​cu·​per·​ate ri-ˈk(y)ü-pə-ˌrāt 

recuperated; recuperating

: recover sense 2

especially : to regain health or strength

recuperation

-ˌk(y)ü-pə-ˈrā-shən 

noun

Medical Definition

recuperate

verb

re·​cu·​per·​ate ri-ˈk(y)ü-pə-ˌrāt 

recuperated; recuperating

transitive verb

: to get back or recover

recuperating health and strength after pneumonia

intransitive verb

: to recover health or strength

time to recuperate after major surgery