chronic
adjectiveBand 7
UKˈkrɒnɪk
USˈkrɑːnɪk
(Of an illness or problem) persisting for a long time or constantly recurring.
She suffers from chronic back pain.
The region faces a chronic shortage of doctors.
Remember it
Chronic comes from Greek chronos, “time,” reminding you that chronic problems last a long time.
Watch out
chronical illnesschronic illness
The adjective is chronic, not chronical.
Goes with
Similar and opposite
- Similar
- persistentlong-termongoing
- Opposite
- acutetemporaryshort-lived
Word family
Check yourself
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Which picture shows chronic?