chronic en · ADJ
Pronunciation
- /ˈkɹɒn.ɪk/ (Canada, dialectal) of the US
- [ˈkɹɔ̟n.ək] (New-Zealand)
- /ˈkɹɑ.nɪk/ (General-American, dialectal) of Canada
- /ˈkɹɒn.ɪk/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- audio Queensland
- /ˈkɹɒn.ək/ (New-Zealand)
- /ˈkɹɔn.ɪk/ (Australia)
Etymology
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.
Meanings
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Being problematic over an extended period of time.
chronic unemployment; chronic poverty; chronic anger; chronic life
These concerns were shared by other SNP women who told the Guardian there was a chronic lack of support from the party, including for those with younger families.
2025 March 23, Libby Brooks and Severin Carrell, “‘Hostile environment’ drives many of SNP’s female MSPs to step down before 2026 vote”, in The Guardian, archived from the original on 28 Mar 2025:Community Board 2 has chronic sanitation issues that clog busy streets and create real quality-of-life problems for residents, workers and visitors.
2026 April 17, Christopher Marte, quotee, “Mayor Mamdani Takes Major Step Toward Citywide Trash Containerization, Announces Six New Districts”, in NYC.gov, archived from the original on 03 Jul 2026:Peer group support is important to displaced homemakers. The Displaced Homemakers' Network has done excellent work in helping women see that their problems do not have to be chronic.
1980, Ruth Harriet Jacobs, Integrating Displaced Homemakers into the Economy, page 14:
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Prolonged or slow to heal.
So dreadful was the concentration of his glare that it seemed as if it must become chronic and stay like that for ever.
1913, Norman Lindsay, A Curate in Bohemia, Sydney: N.S.W. Bookstall Co., published 1932, page 117:chronic cough; chronic headache; chronic illness
In 2016, the CDC established guidelines for prescribing narcotics for chronic pain.
2017 March 20, Nadia Kounang, “Prescriptions may hold clues to who gets hooked on opioids, study says”, in CNN, archived from the original on 06 Feb 2018:
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Of a person, suffering from an affliction that is prolonged or slow to heal.
Chronic patients must learn to live with their condition.
-
Inveterate or habitual.
He's a chronic smoker.
-
(slang) Very bad, awful.
That concert was chronic.
-
(informal) Extremely serious.
They left him in a chronic condition.
-
(slang) Good, great; "wicked".
That was cool, chronic in fact.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| most chronic | Degree=Sup | lexicographic | |
| chronick | alternative, obsolete | lexicographic | |
| more chronic | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic |
Antonyms
transient (antonym(s) of “prolonged or slow to heal”) · acute (antonym(s) of “prolonged or slow to heal”)
Deriveds
chronic traumatic encephalopathy · chronic obstructive pulmonary disease · chronic disease · crunk · achronic · chronic Lyme disease · hydrochronic · chronic toxicity · heterochronic · chronic adrenal insufficiency · nonchronic · panchronic · chronic Lyme · chronic bee paralysis virus · chronic wasting disease · chronic Covid · chronic COVID syndrome · chronic suppurative otitis media · chronically · chronic condition · prechronic · subchronic · chronic beryllium disease · dank chronic · monochronic · parachronic · chronic bronchitis · chronic cellular dehydration · chronic skin-picking · chronicity · chronic myeloid leukemia · semichronic · mesochronic · chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension · chronicization · allochronic · chronic fatigue syndrome · chronic granulomatous disease · chronic illness
Synonyms
prolonged · diuturnal (that continues over an extended period of time) · gnarly (good, great) · splendid · terrible · abysmal (very bad, awful)
Translations (98)
ja 慢性的 (that continues over an extended period of time) · et krooniline (medical: prolonged or slow to heal) · nl chronisch (that continues over an extended period of time) · fi pitkäaikainen (that continues over an extended period of time) · ru хрони́ческий (that continues over an extended period of time) · la chronicus (medical: prolonged or slow to heal) · hy քրոնիկ (medical: prolonged or slow to heal) · de chronisch (medical: prolonged or slow to heal) · bg хроничен (medical: prolonged or slow to heal) · nrf chronique (inveterate or habitual) · sv kronisk (medical: prolonged or slow to heal) · de andauernd (that continues over an extended period of time) · pt crónico (medical: prolonged or slow to heal) · de unverbesserlich (inveterate or habitual) · pl chroniczny (medical: prolonged or slow to heal) · bg дълготраен (that continues over an extended period of time) · el χρόνιος (medical: prolonged or slow to heal) · kk созылмалы (medical: prolonged or slow to heal) · it cronico (medical: prolonged or slow to heal) · nrf chronique (that continues over an extended period of time) · ms kronik (medical: prolonged or slow to heal) · tyv хоочу (medical: prolonged or slow to heal) · fr chronique (that continues over an extended period of time) · fa مزمن (medical: prolonged or slow to heal) · fi krooninen (medical: prolonged or slow to heal) · de chronisch (suffering from an affliction that is prolonged or slow to heal) · pt crónico (inveterate or habitual) · id kronis (that continues over an extended period of time) · it cronico (that continues over an extended period of time) · it cronico (inveterate or habitual) · es crónico (that continues over an extended period of time) · pt crónico (that continues over an extended period of time) · ja 慢性的 (medical: prolonged or slow to heal) · ca crònic (inveterate or habitual) · es crónico (medical: prolonged or slow to heal) · nl chronisch (inveterate or habitual) · fi pitkällinen (medical: prolonged or slow to heal) · fi krooninen (that continues over an extended period of time) · ca crònic (medical: prolonged or slow to heal) · pt crónico (suffering from an affliction that is prolonged or slow to heal) · de langanhaltend (that continues over an extended period of time) · fr chronique (inveterate or habitual) · gl crónico (suffering from an affliction that is prolonged or slow to heal) · sv kronisk (that continues over an extended period of time) · gl crónico (that continues over an extended period of time) · ru хрони́ческий (suffering from an affliction that is prolonged or slow to heal) · de fortwährend (that continues over an extended period of time) · de eingefleischt (inveterate or habitual) · vi mạn tính (medical: prolonged or slow to heal) · bg привичен (inveterate or habitual) · nl chronisch (suffering from an affliction that is prolonged or slow to heal) · uk хронічний (medical: prolonged or slow to heal) · eo kronika (that continues over an extended period of time) · cs chronický (medical: prolonged or slow to heal) · la inveterātus (medical: prolonged or slow to heal) · cs chronický (that continues over an extended period of time) · ar مُزْمِن (medical: prolonged or slow to heal) · ru хрони́ческий (medical: prolonged or slow to heal) · ms kronik (suffering from an affliction that is prolonged or slow to heal) · cmn 慢性 (medical: prolonged or slow to heal) · fi piintynyt (inveterate or habitual) · de dauerhaft (that continues over an extended period of time) · nrf chronique (medical: prolonged or slow to heal) · fi krooninen (suffering from an affliction that is prolonged or slow to heal) · la chronicus (that continues over an extended period of time) · pl chroniczny (that continues over an extended period of time) · hy քրոնիկ (that continues over an extended period of time) · fi kestävä (that continues over an extended period of time) · ms kronik (that continues over an extended period of time) · ka ქრონიკული (medical: prolonged or slow to heal) · es crónico (inveterate or habitual) · vi mãn tính (medical: prolonged or slow to heal) · grc ἔμμονος (medical: prolonged or slow to heal) · nl chronisch (medical: prolonged or slow to heal) · hu krónikus (medical: prolonged or slow to heal) · hu idült (medical: prolonged or slow to heal) · id kronis (suffering from an affliction that is prolonged or slow to heal) · fa پیاده (medical: prolonged or slow to heal) · ca crònic (suffering from an affliction that is prolonged or slow to heal) · ro cronic (that continues over an extended period of time) · ro cronic (medical: prolonged or slow to heal) · bg продължителен (that continues over an extended period of time) · gl crónico (medical: prolonged or slow to heal) · id kronis (medical: prolonged or slow to heal) · ar عَوِيص (that continues over an extended period of time) · pl przewlekły (medical: prolonged or slow to heal) · de Langzeit- (that continues over an extended period of time) · de chronisch (that continues over an extended period of time) · es crónico (suffering from an affliction that is prolonged or slow to heal) · fi jatkuva (that continues over an extended period of time) · ja 慢性的 (inveterate or habitual) · ca crònic (that continues over an extended period of time) · te ముదురు (medical: prolonged or slow to heal) · gl crónico (inveterate or habitual) · fi pitkäaikainen (medical: prolonged or slow to heal) · la chronicum (inveterate or habitual) · fi pitkällinen (that continues over an extended period of time) · fr chronique (medical: prolonged or slow to heal)