chronic Hear it!

chronic Definition

chronic (krän′ik)

adjective

  1. lasting a long time or recurring often
  2. having had an ailment for a long time a chronic patient
  3. continuing indefinitely; perpetual; constant a chronic worry
  4. by habit, custom, etc.; habitual; inveterate a chronic complainer

Etymology: Fr cronique < L chronicus < Gr chronikos, of time < chronos, time

noun

a chronic patient

chronic Related Forms
chron′i·cally adverb chro·nic′·ity (krə nis′ə tē) noun
chronic Synonyms

chronic

modif.

inveterate, confirmed, settled, habitual, hardened, rooted, deep-seated, continuing, persistent, persisting, stubborn, uncured, incurable, lasting, unyielding, tenacious, enduring, lingering, deep-rooted, abiding, perennial, perpetual, constant, fixed, continual, incessant, long-standing, recurring, continuous, of long duration, long-lived, unabating, protracted, ceaseless, sustained, lifelong, prolonged, recurrent, periodic, intermittent, continued, obstinate, incorrigible, unceasing, inborn, inbred, ingrained, ever-present; see also habitual 1, permanent 2.

Antonyms acute, temporary*, casual.

chronic suggests long duration or frequent recurrence and is used especially of diseases or habits that resist all efforts to eradicate them chronic sinusitis; inveterate implies firm establishment as a result of continued indulgence over a long period of time an inveterate liar; confirmed suggests fixedness in some condition or practice, often from a deep-seated aversion to change a confirmed bachelor; hardened implies fixed tendencies and a callous indifference to emotional or moral considerations a hardened criminal

chronic Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • become: They may become chronic with serious loss of blood.
  • have: Especially as I have had a chronic and at times debilitating illness for the last 15 years.

Modifies a noun

  • bronchitis: He died from the chronic bronchitis that his touch of gas in March 1918 had given him.
  • pain: Chronic acute pain can last for months or years.
  • illness: The nature of practice nurse work in relation to chronic illness also seems to be evolving rapidly.
  • syndrome: He faked the symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome to evade active service.
  • disease: Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease caused by too much glucose in your blood.
  • leukemia: Much less is known about the effects in chronic lymphocytic leukemia ( CLL ).

Modifying Another Word

  • especially: Skeletal pathology Numerous pathological conditions, especially chronic, long lasting disease, affect the human skeleton.
  • particularly: My own experience is as a recipient of psychiatry where these problems are particularly chronic.
  • often: They ere categorized mostly as schizophrenic, often chronic ( especially if inherited from the previous regime ).
  • usually: It is usually chronic, with intermittent acute attacks.
  • only: Only chronic heart disease produces more disability ' : Dr. Ben Green, Consultant in Psychological Medicine, Halton Hospital.
  • about: Learn all about chronic fatigue syndrome and those affected by this disorder.

Noun used with modifier

  • term: More than 17 million people nationally suffer with long term chronic illness - and that means about 5,000 in Milton Keynes.
  • finance: New Millenium, finances chronic, Shanghai and New York the perfect tonic.

Used with adjective complement

  • become: If the condition becomes chronic the cervix becomes swollen and enlarged and may contain cysts that may also become infected.

Preposition: under

  • investment: And Colm Ryan definitely has the last word: Irish roads have suffered from years of chronic under investment.
  • funding: The University of Ulster is mounting a high-profile lobbying campaign to reverse the chronic under funding of university research in Northern Ireland.