Chronically
/ˈkrɒnɪkli/
adverbIntermediateCommonGeneral
Meaning
Questions
Definitions
1
Persistently or habitually; constantly over a long period.
/ˈkrɒnɪkli/
adverbneutralIntermediate
General
In a chronic manner; persistently; habitually.
She's chronically tired.
💡 Simply: Imagine a leaky faucet that's always dripping – that's chronically. Something that happens all the time, never stopping.
👶 For kids: Always, always, always happening.
More Examples
2
The problem has been chronically ignored.
How It's Used
Medical
"He suffers from chronically low blood pressure."
General
"She is chronically late for appointments."
From Middle English *cronik, from Old French chronique, from Late Latin chronicus, from Greek khronikos "of or pertaining to time", from khronos "time".
The word's use has remained consistent throughout history, relating to persistent conditions or habits.
Memory tip
Think 'chronos' (time) - it's always there, lasting a long time.
Practice
Base: chronic
cronicallychronicaly
Usage
20%Spoken
80%Written