chronic

adjective

chron·​ic ˈkrä-nik How to pronounce chronic (audio)
Synonyms of chronic
1
a
: continuing or occurring again and again for a long time
chronic pain
chronic illness
chronic experiments
see also chronic disease, chronic fatigue syndrome, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, chronic traumatic encephalopathy, chronic wasting disease
b
: being, providing, or requiring long-term medical care (as for a chronic disease)
chronic medical care
the special needs of chronic patients
2
a
: always present or encountered
especially : constantly vexing, weakening, or troubling
chronic petty warfare
… chronic meddling in one another's domestic affairs … —Amatzia Baram
b
: being such habitually
a chronic grumbler
chronic noun
plural chronics
Apart from the lady with the sore throat, there were four more new visits, several follow-up calls, and the endless list of chronics. —Elizabeth Scott
chronically
ˈkrä-ni-k(ə-)lē How to pronounce chronic (audio)
adverb
She is chronically ill.
people who are chronically late
The schools are chronically short of funds.

Synonyms of chronic

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inveterate, confirmed, chronic mean firmly established.

inveterate applies to a habit, attitude, or feeling of such long existence as to be practically ineradicable or unalterable.

an inveterate smoker

confirmed implies a growing stronger and firmer with time so as to resist change or reform.

a confirmed bachelor

chronic suggests something that is persistent or endlessly recurrent and troublesome.

a chronic complainer

Examples of chronic in a Sentence

He suffers from chronic arthritis. a chronic need for attention Inflation has become a chronic condition in the economy. Don't bother seeing that film—it's chronic.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Ultimately, glorifying sleep deprivation is counterproductive; prioritizing sleep is key for career longevity and productivity, while chronic insomnia leads to impaired judgment and hinders professional growth. — Mena Mirhom, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026 Presley was hopelessly addicted to prescription medication at this point, dealing with a wide multitude of chronic health disorders. — Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 1 Aug. 2026 Some studies have described BPC-157 being used to treat knee pain, a chronic bladder condition known as interstitial cystitis and ulcerative colitis, a common type of inflammatory bowel disease that can cause inflammation and ulcers in the colon. — Jacqueline Howard, CNN Money, 31 July 2026 Many Americans have experienced back pain at some point in life, and some suffer from chronic back pain. — Bestreviews, Mercury News, 31 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for chronic

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French chronique, going back to Middle French, borrowed from Late Latin chronicus, going back to Latin, "written in the form of annals," borrowed from Greek chronikós "of time, temporal, in order by time," from chrónos "time" + -ikos -ic entry 1 — more at chrono-

Note: Latin chronicus was used by medical writers (as Caelius Aurelianus, ca. early 5th century a.d.) to translate Greek chrónios "occurring again and again," used by Greek medical writers, though Greek chronikós, the source of chronicus, lacks this sense.

First Known Use

1601, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of chronic was in 1601

Phrases Containing chronic

Rhymes for chronic

See All Rhymes for chronic

Browse Nearby Words

chronaximetric
chronic
chronically
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Chronic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chronic. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

chronic

adjective
chron·​ic ˈkrän-ik How to pronounce chronic (audio)
1
: continuing or occurring again and again for a long time
a chronic disease
2
: habitual sense 2
a chronic complainer
chronically
-i-k(ə-)lē How to pronounce chronic (audio)
adverb
Etymology

from French chronique "chronic," from Greek chronikos "of time," from chronos "time" — related to anachronism, chronicle, synchronous

Medical Definition

chronic

1 of 2 adjective
chron·​ic ˈkrän-ik How to pronounce chronic (audio)
variants also chronical
-i-kəl How to pronounce chronic (audio)
1
a
: marked by long duration, by frequent recurrence over a long time, and often by slowly progressing seriousness : not acute
chronic indigestion
Her symptoms became chronic.
see also chronic disease, chronic fatigue syndrome, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, chronic traumatic encephalopathy
b
: being, providing, or requiring long-term medical care (as for a chronic disease)
chronic care facilities
chronic treatment with antidiabetic medication
2
a
: having a slow progressive course of indefinite duration
chronic heart disease
chronic arthritis
chronic tuberculosis
compare acute sense 2b(1)
b
: infected with a disease-causing agent (as a virus) and remaining infectious over a long period of time but not necessarily expressing symptoms
chronic carriers of hepatitis B
chronically
-i-k(ə-)lē How to pronounce chronic (audio)
adverb
chronically ill patients

chronic

2 of 2 noun
: one that suffers from a chronic disease

More from Merriam-Webster on chronic

Nglish: Translation of chronic for Spanish Speakers

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