What context can I use each word in?
Learn when and how to use these words with these examples!
recover
Example
It took her a few weeks to recover from the flu. [recover: verb]
Example
The police were able to recover the stolen jewelry. [recover: verb]
Example
The economy is slowly recovering from the recession. [recovering: gerund or present participle]
redeem
Example
He tried to redeem himself by apologizing for his behavior. [redeem: verb]
Example
I redeemed my loyalty points for a free hotel stay. [redeemed: past tense]
Example
The company's new marketing campaign helped to redeem their tarnished reputation. [redeeming: gerund or present participle]
Good things to know
Which word is more common?
Recover is more commonly used than redeem in everyday language, especially in the context of physical health or retrieving lost items. Redeem is less common but has a broader range of applications.
What’s the difference in the tone of formality between recover and redeem?
Redeem is generally considered more formal than recover, as it is often used in the context of moral or ethical redemption.
