{"id":10658,"date":"2022-11-16T22:16:39","date_gmt":"2022-11-16T22:16:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/?p=10658"},"modified":"2022-11-16T22:16:39","modified_gmt":"2022-11-16T22:16:39","slug":"road-to-recovery-meaning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/road-to-recovery-meaning\/","title":{"rendered":"Road to Recovery \u2013 Meaning, Origin and Usage"},"content":{"rendered":"

Did your aunt have hip replacement surgery? You might say that she is \u201con the road to recovery<\/strong>\u201d and getting better every day.<\/p>\n

Keep reading to discover what this phrase means, how it originated, and how to add it to your vocabulary.<\/p>\n

Meaning<\/h2>\n

The idiom \u201con the the road to recovery<\/strong>\u201d means that someone is (or a group of people are) getting better after suffering a misfortune<\/u>.<\/p>\n

The word \u201croad<\/strong>\u201d indicates that recovery is a journey that takes time<\/u>. The person hasn\u2019t yet made a full recovery, but is getting there.<\/p>\n

People frequently use the expression \u201con the road to recovery\u201d when talking about physical illness, but it may also refer to addiction or economic recovery.<\/p>\n

Example Usage<\/h2>\n

Would you like to add the phrase \u201con the road to recovery<\/strong>\u201d to your everyday lexicon? These example sentences help you understand its meaning better, and show you in which contexts people use the saying:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • \u201cMary was in hospital for a month and a half after catching Covid-19, and even had to be on a respirator for a while. It was touch and go, and her doctors thought she might not make it. Mary is finally on the road to recovery now<\/strong>.\u201d<\/li>\n
  • \u201cI have been sober for 19 years and I\u2019m still on the road to recovery<\/strong>. You never stop being an alcoholic. Every day is a struggle, but it does get better.\u201d<\/li>\n
  • \u201cThe current recession has lasted almost a year, but economists say we are finally on the road to recovery<\/strong>. Let\u2019s hope that means better living standards and more jobs.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Origin<\/h2>\n

    The word \u201crecovery<\/strong>\u201d has been in the English language since the 1300s<\/strong>. It comes from the Old French \u201crecovrer<\/strong>,\u201d meaning to regain one\u2019s health. The Latin were \u201crecuperare<\/strong>,\u201d which translates to \u201crecuperate<\/strong>\u201d in English,\u00a0 is also closely related.<\/p>\n

    The idea that recovering is a journey, a path, or a personal pilgrimage dates back to the 1830s<\/strong>. John Perceval, the son of an English Prime Minister, famously wrote about his journey back to reality after suffering a psychotic episode in this decade.<\/p>\n

    Alcoholics Anonymous <\/strong>and other 12-step movements<\/strong> did much to contribute to this imagery, and to link the phrase \u201croad to recovery\u201d to the battle against addiction. These movements, which invite addicts to take consecutive steps to make amends and better their lives, gained steam in the 1930s<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    However, the phrase \u201croad to recovery<\/strong>\u201d isn\u2019t exclusive to addicts or people with mental illnesses. Healing is always a process, especially after a prolonged or serious illness. Invoking images of roads to travel makes it clear that recovery takes time and effort.<\/p>\n

    You can say someone is \u201con the road to recovery\u201d after a minor illness like a mild flu, but people typically use this expression when someone is healing from a life-threatening illness.<\/p>\n

    Phrases Similar to Road to Recovery<\/h2>\n

    Is \u201croad to recovery\u201d not quite right for you? One of these health-related idioms may better meet your needs:<\/p>\n

      \n
    • On the mend<\/strong> \u2014 an expression with the same meaning.<\/li>\n
    • Battling [an illness]<\/strong> \u2014 someone trying their best to recover from an illness.<\/li>\n
    • Under the weather <\/strong>\u2014 meaning someone with mild symptoms of illness, such as a cold.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      Phrases Opposite to Road to Recovery<\/h2>\n

      If someone has finished their road to recovery, you can say they have \u201cmade a full recovery<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n

      People who overcame a serious and life-threatening illness can also be said to have \u201csurvived [an illness, such as cancer].<\/strong>\u201d<\/p>\n

      What Is the Correct Saying?<\/h2>\n

      The correct saying is \u201con the road to recovery<\/strong>.\u201d It usually means someone is getting better after a long illness, but can also refer to addiction or the economy.<\/p>\n

      Ways People May Say Road to Recovery Incorrectly<\/h2>\n

      The phrase \u201croad to recovery<\/strong>\u201d is metaphorical. As such, it would be incorrect to say someone in an ambulance on the way to the hospital is on the road to recovery.<\/p>\n

      Acceptable Ways to Phrase Road to Recovery<\/h2>\n

      You can say someone is \u201con the road to recovery\u201d if they are getting better after a long illness but have not fully recovered yet. This saying paints recovery as a process that takes time.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      Did your aunt have hip replacement surgery? You might say that she is \u201con the road to recovery\u201d and getting better every day. Keep reading to discover what this phrase means, how it originated, and how to add it to your vocabulary. Meaning The idiom \u201con the the road to recovery\u201d means that someone is […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10658"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10658"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10658\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10660,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10658\/revisions\/10660"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10658"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10658"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10658"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}