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# chronic

adjective (chronic)

«chronic» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. A chronic illness or problem lasts a long time or keeps coming back. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/chronic/#m1)
2. A chronic habit is one a person has had for a long time and cannot stop: «a chronic liar». [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/chronic/#m2)
3. (UK, informal) Very bad: «The film was chronic». [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/chronic/#m3)

### In the lessons

In health and science lessons «chronic» illnesses like asthma or diabetes are long-lasting, opposite to «acute» ones that come suddenly and pass. In news, «chronic shortages» are problems that never go away. In British slang, «chronic» means awful. Phrases: «chronic pain», «chronic illness», «a chronic shortage», «chronically ill».

### Examples

- Grandad has chronic back pain. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/chronic/#x1)
- Asthma is a chronic illness, but medicine helps. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/chronic/#x2)
- The town has a chronic shortage of doctors. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/chronic/#x3)
- He is a chronic worrier and frets about everything. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/chronic/#x4)
- My little sister is a chronic nail-biter. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/chronic/#x5)
- That match was chronic; we lost ten nil! (UK, informal) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/chronic/#x6)
- Chronic tiredness can be a sign that you need to see a doctor. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/chronic/#x7)

### Note

Adjective; adverb «chronically». Opposite in medicine: acute. Trap: chronic does NOT mean «very serious»; it means «long-lasting». The «ch» sounds like «k»: KRON-ik. Related: chronicle, chronology (all about time).

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «chronic» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/chronic/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«chronic» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/chronic.html) on Mova free.