recover

To recover is to have something returned. It could be something that was lost, stolen, forgotten, or swept away by strong forces in nature.

• Somehow Samantha’s lost wedding ring was recovered after thirty years.
• Recovered works of art that disappeared during World War II are now back in the museums where they were first displayed.
• The police recovered valuable merchandise stolen from a store downtown.
• Sailors were able to recover the remains of people who were victims of a storm.
• Some of the luggage lost in the storm was never recovered.
• Ralph recovered his boat from the other side of the lake after it broke loose from the dock.

A person recovers after a difficult emotional experience:

• Juan never recovered from his wife’s untimely death.
• The family is still trying to recover from the devastating loss.
• Jill quickly recovered after her divorce.
• It was difficult for Ted to recover from the loss of a job he held for 25 years.
• Everyone wonders if Bill’s reputation will ever recover from a drug-related prison sentence.

To recover is also to regain one’s health after sickness:

• Jennifer is still recovering following a nasty cold.
• It’s has taken her a long time to recover.
• Her recovery took weeks. (The word "recovery" is a noun.)
• Jade quickly recovered from a stroke.
• Doctors called her recovery a miracle.

She doesn’t think she’ll be able to recover the files that were deleted on her computer.

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December 28, 2017