Word
recur
Phoneticsre·cur, stress on the second syllable
US/ɹiˈkɝ/
UK/ɹɪkˈɜː/
Definition
v. to happen again, especially after a break or more than once.
v. to occur again after an interval, especially repeatedly or periodically.
Examples
“That headache often recurs on stressful days.”
“If your fever recurs after two days without symptoms, call the clinic for further advice.”
“Economic crises recur with unsettling regularity, each generation persuading itself that new tools have finally tamed the cycle.”
Examples
simple
“That headache often recurs on stressful days.”
contextual
“If your fever recurs after two days without symptoms, call the clinic for further advice.”
complex
“Economic crises recur with unsettling regularity, each generation persuading itself that new tools have finally tamed the cycle.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “recur” in context.
Verb
01. expect to recur
“Doctors expect the fever to recur for a couple of days.”
verb + to + verb
02. issue recur
“This issue recurs in many schools during exam season.”
noun + verb
03. nightmare recur
“The same nightmare recurs whenever he is under pressure.”
noun + verb
04. problem recur
“The same network problem recurs every time it rains heavily.”
noun + verb
Adjective
05. constantly recur
“The same doubts constantly recur whenever I start a new project.”
adv + verb
06. frequently recur
“These headaches frequently recur when I am stressed and overtired.”
adv + verb
07. periodically recur
“The festival periodically recurs every four years in summer.”
adv + verb
Noun
08. recur in dream
“A strange house often recurs in my dreams at night.”
verb + prep + noun
09. have a recurring nightmare
“She has a recurring nightmare about missing her final exam.”
10. old memories keep recurring
“Old memories keep recurring when I visit my childhood home.”
11. pain may recur after treatment
“The pain may recur after treatment, so do the exercises daily.”
12. problem keeps recurring
“We fixed the leak, but the problem keeps recurring.”
Usage
The verb is intransitive and takes no object.
Etymology
Learned borrowing from Latin recurrō (“to hurry or run back; to return, revert”), from re- (prefix meaning ‘back, backwards’) + currō (“to hasten, hurry; to move, travel; to run”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ḱers- (“to run”)). cognates * Anglo-Norman recurre, recorre (“to have recourse to”) * Catalan recórrer * Italian ricorrer * Old French recourir (Middle French recourir; modern French recourir (“to have recourse to; to run again; to run back”)) * Old Occitan recorre * Portuguese recorrer * Spanish recorrer
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
Related words
Domains
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/recur