Everyday · Body & health · Time
Chronic: meaning, pronunciation and examples
Chronic adjective. Of an illness or problem, lasting a long time or constantly coming back.
How to say it
KRON-ik/ˈkrɒnɪk/
2 syllables, stressed on the first (KRON).
Chronic in a sentence
She has lived with a chronic back problem since her twenties.
The town has a chronic shortage of affordable flats.
Similar and opposite
Similar:
- persistent
- long-term
- lingering
- habitual
Opposite:
- acute
- temporary
Where chronic comes from
From Greek khronikos, of time, from khronos, time.
Test yourself
Which word fills the gap?
The town has a _____ shortage of affordable flats.
- hypnagogic
- eupeptic
- chronic
Show the answer
chronic: The town has a chronic shortage of affordable flats.