recover from

Meaning

This expression means to return to a normal state of health, mind, or strength after suffering from an illness, injury, or a difficult emotional or financial situation. It is more formal than the phrasal verb 'get over.'

Examples

• It took him several weeks to fully recover from the knee surgery.

  It took him several weeks to fully recover from the knee surgery.

• She is still recovering from a severe bout of the flu.

  She is still recovering from a severe bout of the flu.

• The local economy is struggling to recover from the recent recession.

  The local economy is struggling to recover from the recent recession.

• Many patients recover from this mild infection without any treatment.

  Many patients recover from this mild infection without any treatment.

• He needed time to recover from the shock of losing his job.

  He needed time to recover from the shock of losing his job.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ She is recovering of her cold.

  ✓ She is recovering from her cold.

  The verb 'recover' always pairs with the preposition 'from,' not 'of' or 'with'.

• ✗ I recovered from my lost keys.

  ✓ I found my lost keys. / I got over losing my keys.

  Recover from is used for serious illnesses, injuries, setbacks, or emotional shocks, not minor everyday inconveniences.

Related Expressions

Practice

• It takes a long time to ___ a major surgery.

  💡 To get better after an illness/injury.

  Show answer

  recover from

• It took the athlete nearly a year to ___ the knee injury.

  💡 Return to health after a setback.

  Show answer

  recover from