nurse back to health

nurse back to health — phrasal verb

  • nurse back to healthbase form
  • nurses back to health3rd person singular
  • nursing back to health-ing form
  • nursed back to healthpast simple

1. to take care of a person or an animal that is ill, giving them rest, medicine, a

1.片語動詞及物B2
釋義

to take care of a person or an animal that is ill, giving them rest, medicine, and attention, until they are healthy again.

例句

After the accident, Mei-Lin's mother spent two months nursing her back to health at home.

nurse + human object + back to health

The vet believed we could nurse the puppy back to health with proper medication and rest.

nurse + animal object + back to health

同義詞
  • care for

    more general; does not imply the goal of full recovery

  • tend to

    more formal; focuses on the act of attending rather than the outcome

  • restore to health

    more formal and medical; often used in professional contexts

反義詞
  • neglect

    to fail to give necessary care, leading to worsening health

文法句型

nurse + noun phrase + back to health

用法筆記

Object is most often a person or a domestic animal. Frequently used in the passive (e.g. 'was nursed back to health'). The adverb 'slowly' or phrase 'bit by bit' commonly appears to emphasize the gradual process.

常見錯誤

The doctor nursed him to health.
The doctor nursed him back to health.
💡The full expression requires 'back to', not just 'to health'.
She nursed the dying plant back to health.
She brought the dying plant back to life.
💡'Nurse back to health' is used for people and animals, not for plants.

2. to take careful, step-by-step actions to help a company, industry, or economy th

2.片語動詞及物C1
釋義

to take careful, step-by-step actions to help a company, industry, or economy that is in serious financial trouble become stable and profitable again.

例句

The chief executive cut costs to nurse the struggling manufacturer back to health.

nurse + business (manufacturer) + back to health

Banks offered low-interest loans to nurse the region's tourism economy back to health.

nurse + economy + back to health

同義詞
  • turn around

    more informal; focuses on changing direction rather than careful restoration

  • revive

    more dramatic; implies bringing back from near collapse

  • rescue

    broader; can include external bailouts rather than internal reform

反義詞

文法句型

nurse + noun phrase + back to health

用法筆記

This is a metaphorical extension of the literal sense. It is most common in business journalism and economic reporting. The subject is typically a manager, government, or financial institution. The object is an organization or economic sector, never a person.