adjective · neutral

chronic

UK/ˈkrɒnɪk/US/ˈkrɑːnɪk/CHRON·ic

Band 5-6speakingtask2

Lasting for a long time or recurring frequently, especially of illnesses or problems.

Examples

She suffers from chronic back pain after the accident.

Chronic stress can affect both mental and physical health.

Managing chronic conditions often requires long-term medication.

Band 8 sentence

Patients with chronic conditions benefit most from coordinated care that addresses both symptoms and lifestyle factors.

Collocations

  • chronic pain
  • chronic condition
  • chronic illness

Word family

chronic adjectivechronically adverbchronicity noun

Common mistakes

very chronicchronic

chroniclychronically

Say it for a higher band

5long-lasting6long-term7+chronic

Synonyms

long-term

Easily confused

acute

Acute infections require immediate attention.

Related words

Learn this word with the rest of its set, and get reminded at the right time.

In Health & Fitness

Learn it with its set