adj
chronic
KRON-ihk
adj
1
Lasting for a long time or recurring frequently, especially of an illness or problem.
"He suffers from chronic back pain."
"Chronic underfunding has left the department struggling."
2
Slang: excellent or impressive.
"That new track is absolutely chronic."
noun
1
Slang for high-quality marijuana.
"He said the chronic he'd bought was the best he'd had in years."
How to Use Chronic
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishLong-lasting or constantly recurring, usually describing a persistent illness or problem.
Common mistake
In medicine, chronic (long-lasting) is the opposite of acute (sudden and severe) — the two are often confused.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
chronic illness
chronic pain
chronic shortage
Word Forms
more chronic comparative, chronics plural, most chronic superlative
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He suffers from _____ back pain.
Etymology
From Old French cronique, from Latin chronicus, from Greek khronikós (\"of time\"), from khrónos (\"time\").