chronic
Americanadjective
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continuing for a long time; constantly recurring
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(of a disease) developing slowly, or of long duration Compare acute
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inveterate; habitual
a chronic smoker
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informal
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very bad
the play was chronic
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very serious
he left her in a chronic condition
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Relating to an illness or medical condition that is characterized by long duration or frequent recurrence. Diabetes and hypertension are chronic diseases.
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Compare acute
Other Word Forms
- chronically adverb
- chronicity noun
- nonchronic adjective
- nonchronical adjective
- subchronic adjective
- subchronical adjective
- unchronic adjective
Etymology
Origin of chronic
First recorded in 1595–1605; from Latin chronicus, from Greek chronikós, equivalent to chrón(os) “time” + -ikos -ic
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Hollywood may just be catching up to what viewers want amid chronic sequel fatigue.
From Salon
She said: "Children are highly susceptible to aggressive marketing of unhealthy foods and exposure to them puts them at greater risk of developing obesity and associated chronic diseases."
From BBC
Venezuela has the world's largest proven oil reserves but its output has tanked in recent years due to a US oil embargo and chronic underinvestment.
From Barron's
Ultrasounds of his veins showed that the president has “chronic venous insufficiency,” according to a memo.
“It helps them process chronic stress and unprocessed trauma,” she says.
From Los Angeles Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
