Chronic
/ˈkrɒnɪk/
adjectiveIntermediateCommonGeneral
Meaning
Questions
Definitions
1
lasting for a long time or constantly recurring.
/ˈkrɒnɪk/
adjectiveneutralIntermediate
General
Persisting for a long time or constantly recurring.
She has a chronic cough.
💡 Simply: Imagine a stubborn cold that just won't go away – that's chronic! It means something lasts a really long time, like a persistent cough or a long-running problem.
👶 For kids: Something that goes on and on and on!
More Examples
2
The country faces a chronic shortage of skilled workers.
How It's Used
Medical
"He suffers from chronic back pain."
General
"The city has a chronic problem with traffic congestion."
From Middle English cronik, from Old French cronique, from Late Latin chronicus, from Greek khronikos, from khronos "time".
Originally referred to time and historical records; its modern medical usage emerged later.
Memory tip
Think 'chronos' (time) - it's a long-term condition.
Practice
Base: chronic
cronnicchonic
Usage
20%Spoken
80%Written