chronic
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
continuing for a long time or happening again and again.
persisting over a long period of time or constantly recurring. Often used to describe medical conditions or systemic social problems.
Simple“My grandfather suffers from chronic back pain that makes it hard for him to walk.”
In context“The region faces a chronic shortage of clean water, a crisis that has been exacerbated by several years of record-breaking drought.”
PitfallHe has a chronic pain in his leg today. He has an acute pain in his leg today.Use 'chronic' for long-term issues. For a sudden, sharp, or short-term problem, use 'acute'.
Synonyms - 02 C1 Advanced
doing something bad as a habit that is hard to stop.
inveterate or habitual in behavior, typically regarding a negative trait or condition.
Simple“He is a chronic liar who cannot be trusted even with small details.”
In context“The department was plagued by chronic underperformance, largely due to a lack of clear leadership and accountability.”
- 03 C1 Advanced
of very poor quality; terrible.
extremely bad, intense, or of poor quality.
Simple“The service at that restaurant was absolutely chronic, so we left without eating.”
In context“The weather during our holiday was chronic, with relentless rain and wind that kept us indoors for the entire week.”
Usage chronic stress · chronic conditions · chronic pain
“Chronic exposure to even low levels of PFAS has been linked to liver damage, high cholesterol, reduced immune responses, low birth weights and several kinds of cancer.”
“Parent-carers of disabled children are exposed to chronic levels of extreme stress and often reach crisis point before help is available – then they face a ‘fight for basic support’, experts say.”
From chronical, from Old French cronike, from Latin chronicus, from Ancient Greek χρονικός (khronikós, “of time”), from χρόνος (khrónos, “time”). By surface analysis, chron- + -ic.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.