recurrent

recurrent — adjective

1. describes something that happens repeatedly over time, often returning after bre

1.形容詞B2
釋義

describes something that happens repeatedly over time, often returning after breaks or pauses so that it appears more than once, such as a problem that keeps coming back or an event that occurs regularly.

例句

João has been suffering from recurrent headaches since his car accident last winter.

collocation: recurrent + headache / pain / infection

The northern region faced recurrent droughts that destroyed crops and forced families to move.

collocation: recurrent + drought / problem / issue

同義詞
  • recurring

    very similar in meaning; 'recurring' is slightly more neutral while 'recurrent' often has a clinical or formal tone

  • repeated

    broader — describes anything happening more than once, without the implication that it goes away and comes back

  • periodic

    implies regularity or fixed intervals, whereas 'recurrent' may be irregular

  • persistent

    focuses on continuity rather than return; something persistent does not fully stop

反義詞
  • isolated

    happening only once, without repetition

  • one-off

    informal term for a single occurrence that does not repeat

文法句型

recurrent + noun (recurrent headache, recurrent problem)

be + recurrent (The pattern is recurrent.)

用法筆記

Most frequent with medical conditions (pain, infection, symptoms) and abstract nouns (theme, pattern, problem, issue). Unlike 'repeated', recurrent implies that something goes away and comes back, not just that it happens more than once.

常見錯誤

❌The rain was recurrent throughout the afternoon.
✅The rain returned several times throughout the afternoon.
💡'recurrent' describes patterns over months or years, not events within a single day.
❌She made recurrent mistakes on the same page.
✅She made repeated mistakes on the same page.
💡'repeated' is better for actions that happen several times in quick succession without disappearing in between.

2. describes a vein, artery, or nerve that turns around and heads back toward its s

2.形容詞C1
釋義

describes a vein, artery, or nerve that turns around and heads back toward its starting point, following a reversed course from its original direction — a term used mainly in medical and anatomical descriptions.

例句

The left recurrent laryngeal nerve loops under the aorta then returns upward to the voice box.

anatomical path: loops down then returns upward

A small radial recurrent artery branches from the main artery and curves back toward the elbow.

directional reversal: branches off then curves back up

同義詞
  • returning

    general term; not specific to anatomy but captures the idea of turning back

  • reversing

    stronger directional change, not typically used in anatomical descriptions

文法句型

recurrent + anatomical noun (recurrent nerve, recurrent artery)

recurrent + branch / laryngeal / nerve / vein / artery

用法筆記

Almost exclusively found in medical and anatomical writing. The most common term is 'recurrent laryngeal nerve', which controls the voice box. Non-specialist learners are unlikely to encounter this sense outside of biology or medical contexts.

常見錯誤

❌The recurrent path of the river looks like a loop.
✅The river loops back on itself.
💡Do not use 'recurrent' for geographical features; it is reserved for specific anatomical structures.