chronic

C1 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˈkɹɑ.nɪk/ UK /ˈkɹɒn.ɪk/ See IPA manual

Freq #10440

Meanings

1

adj
(of an illness) Lasting a long time or coming back again and again.

She suffers from chronic back pain.
2

adj
(of a problem) Continuing over a long period and difficult to solve.

The region faces chronic unemployment.
3

adj
Having a bad habit that is constant and hard to break.

He is a chronic smoker who cannot give up.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · (of an illness) lasting a... continuing

3 adj · having a bad habit that is... inveterate

More bad excellent lasting prolonged splendid terrible

Opposites

acute transient

Word family

Forms chronicallychronics

Derived forms achronicallochronicchronicallychronicitychronicizationcrunkheterochronichydrochronicmesochronicmonochronicnonchronicpanchronic

Appears in

Phrases (3)

See all

chronic pain
long-lasting, persistent pain

Adjective + noun
chronic shortage
a persistent or repeatedly recurring lack of something needed

Adjective + noun
chronic indigestion
digestive discomfort that continues for a long time or repeatedly returns

Adjective + noun

Simplified etymology

Chronic is based on the Greek root khronos, “time,” and describes something, especially an illness, that persists for a long time. Its informal British sense “very poor” developed in the mid-19th century from the idea of unending tedium.

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.

cronike Old French chronicus Latin χρονικός Ancient Greek

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# chronic

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C1
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ˈkɹɑ.nɪk/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈkɹɒn.ɪk/
**Frequency rank:** 10440

## Meanings
1. (of an illness) Lasting a long time or coming back again and again.
2. (of a problem) Continuing over a long period and difficult to solve.
3. Having a bad habit that is constant and hard to break.

## Examples
- She suffers from chronic back pain.
- The region faces chronic unemployment.
- He is a chronic smoker who cannot give up.

## Synonyms
- bad
- excellent
- lasting
- prolonged
- splendid
- terrible

## Antonyms
- acute
- transient

## Derived Forms
- achronic
- allochronic
- chronically
- chronicity
- chronicization
- crunk
- heterochronic
- hydrochronic
- mesochronic
- monochronic
- nonchronic
- panchronic

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: cronike
- Root: chronicus
- Root: χρονικός

## 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.

## AI Etymology
Chronic is 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. The analysis is mainly morphological: the modern adjectival form is built from the named base and affix. Important recorded forms include cronike (Old French), chronicus (Latin), and χρονικός (Ancient Greek). Current senses include (of an illness) Lasting a long time or coming back again and again, (of a problem) Continuing over a long period and difficult to solve, and having a bad habit that is constant and hard to break. The wider family includes derived forms such as achronic, allochronic, chronically, chronicity, and chronicization.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

markdown