recrudescence

recrudescences

When something that's bad comes back to haunt you, call it a recrudescence. It's not a word you'll hear often, but it's useful. As a bonus, it lets you say "crud" while sounding really smart.

Don't confuse recrudescence with resurgence, which is neutral and could be used just as easily to describe an increase in crime as to describe the return of warm weather in the spring. Recrudescence is bad. Use it to talk about a new growth of pimples, the return of the symptoms of a disease, or an underground crime ring.