chronic

Definitions

chron (time) + -ic (relating to) = 'concerning time' → 'running along time.' A chronic condition is one stretched out over time — it persists instead of passing. That's why it's the medical opposite of acute (sudden and short), and why a chronic habit is one so long-running it's become permanent.

Why It Means This

Chronic almost always carries a negative charge. The original medical sense (a chronic disease, chronic pain) is about an illness that won't leave. From there it generalized to any persistent bad thing — chronic shortages, chronic unemployment, a chronic complainer. You won't hear 'chronic joy': the word implies something undesirable that has settled in for the long haul. Pair it mentally with its antonym acute to lock in the time contrast.

Common Collocations

• 1.chronic disease慢性病
• 2.chronic pain慢性疼痛
• 3.chronic condition慢性疾病
• 4.chronic shortage长期短缺
• 5.chronic illness慢性疾病

Example Sentences

• 1.

  She suffers from chronic back pain that no treatment seems to ease.

• 2.

  The region faces a chronic shortage of clean drinking water.

• 3.

  He's a chronic latecomer, so we always tell him meetings start early.

Easily Confused

chronic vs acute — In medicine these are opposites along the time axis. Acute means sudden, intense, and short (an acute injury); chronic means slow, persistent, and long-lasting (a chronic illness). Note that in casual British slang 'acute' can also mean severe, but the core contrast is duration: short burst → acute; drags on → chronic.