Meaning
- Chronic means continuing or recurring for a long time; lasting for a long period or constantly recurring. It is often used to describe illnesses, problems, or habits that persist over time.
Grammar and Usage
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Part of speech: Adjective
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Usage patterns:
- chronic + noun → “chronic illness,” “chronic pain,” “chronic shortage”
- be chronic → “His insomnia is chronic.”
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Commonly used in medical, social, and behavioral contexts.
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Opposite of acute, which refers to conditions that appear suddenly and last for a short time.
Common Phrases
- chronic disease – a long-lasting illness such as diabetes or asthma
- chronic pain – pain that continues for a long time
- chronic shortage – a continuous lack of something
- chronic smoker – someone who smokes regularly over a long period
- chronic lateness – habitually being late
Collocations
- chronic + noun: chronic illness, chronic fatigue, chronic unemployment, chronic stress
- verb + chronic: suffer from chronic..., experience chronic..., treat chronic...
- adverb + chronic: terribly chronic, extremely chronic (less common, formal writing often avoids intensifiers)
Examples
- She suffers from chronic back pain after the accident.
- The country faces a chronic shortage of doctors in rural areas.
- He’s a chronic smoker, despite several attempts to quit.
- Chronic stress can lead to serious health problems.
- Their company has chronic financial difficulties.
- My grandmother has chronic arthritis, but she still enjoys gardening.
- The region has a chronic water supply problem.
- He is chronically late for every meeting.
Synonyms or Related
- persistent
- long-term
- lasting
- continual
- enduring
- long-standing
Antonym
- acute
- temporary
- short-term