chronic

adjective

ˈkrä-nik How to pronounce chronic (audio)
Definition of chronicnext
as in persistent
being such by habit and not likely to change a chronic smoker who has quit—many, many times

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word chronic distinct from other similar adjectives?

The words confirmed and inveterate are common synonyms of chronic. While all three words mean "firmly established," chronic suggests something that is persistent or endlessly recurrent and troublesome.

a chronic complainer

When can confirmed be used instead of chronic?

The words confirmed and chronic are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, confirmed implies a growing stronger and firmer with time so as to resist change or reform.

a confirmed bachelor

When could inveterate be used to replace chronic?

While the synonyms inveterate and chronic are close in meaning, inveterate applies to a habit, attitude, or feeling of such long existence as to be practically ineradicable or unalterable.

an inveterate smoker

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of chronic This isn't mere boredom, but chronic exhaustion from performing work employees know is meaningless and potentially automatable, yet cannot openly question. — Vibhas Ratanjee, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026 For example, because the kidneys regulate potassium levels, people with chronic kidney disease may not be able to clear excess potassium effectively. — Christopher Bergland, Verywell Health, 2 July 2026 Researchers believe there's incredible potential in this approach to treating chronic infections, autoimmune disease and cancer, while also providing a novel therapy to prolong our health in older age. — New Atlas, 2 July 2026 Others who could be more sensitive to extreme heat include pregnant women, people with chronic medical conditions and older adults, especially those who have pre-existing conditions, the NWS said. — Mike Snider, USA Today, 4 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for chronic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chronic
  1. persistent
  2. serial
  3. habitual
  4. inveterate
  5. regular
  6. steady
  7. stubborn
  8. addicted
Adjective
  • In his inital letter, Lehmkuhl agreed that there is an urgent need to clear debris and address the persistent odor of millions of pounds of rotting food at the site.
    — Jasmine Mendez Follow, Los Angeles Times, 4 July 2026
  • Though effective medication exists, the issue is persistent in areas with a lack of easy access to testing, treatment and clean water so people don't rely on local bodies of water for drinking and bathing.
    — William McCarthy, NPR, 4 July 2026
Definition of persistent
Adjective
  • Somdutta Singh, Founder and CEO of Assiduus Global, is a serial entrepreneur, investor and author.
    — Somdutta Singh, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
  • Unfortunately, photographs and footage from the 1976 ceremony are not clear enough to read the serial or part numbers off the arm assembly, and no one at the museum seems to remember or know which model the arm came from (if any).
    — Robert Pearlman, ArsTechnica, 1 July 2026
Definition of serial
Adjective
  • Duchamp’s habitual skepticism had the salutary effect of returning us to first principles.
    — Sebastian Smee, The Atlantic, 29 June 2026
  • When complaint becomes habitual, one’s attention might automatically drift toward problems; the neural path is well trod.
    — James Davis, Forbes.com, 26 June 2026
Definition of habitual
Adjective
  • The inveterate white supremacist Woodrow Wilson mouthed anti-colonial rhetoric before reverting to form at the Paris Peace Conference in 1919.
    — Ta-Nehisi Coates, Vanity Fair, 15 June 2026
  • The far-outside post doesn’t compromise this inveterate deep closer, but a lack of pace up front definitely will.
    — Teresa Genaro, New York Times, 5 June 2026
Definition of inveterate
Adjective
  • Trump tied this regular seasonal sale to his claims that his administration lowered costs for consumers, from gas prices to eggs.
    — Ramishah Maruf, CNN Money, 7 July 2026
  • Rogers appeared in 196 regular-season games at Oracle Park over seven seasons, plus two more in the postseason.
    — Justice delos Santos, Mercury News, 7 July 2026
Definition of regular
Adjective
  • This doesn't look like the time for steady rate cuts, and current Warsh recently emphasized the bank's 2% inflation target, which hasn't been reached since 2021.
    — Dan Mangan,Luke Fountain,Kevin Breuninger,Garrett Downs,Ashley Capoot,Justin Papp, CNBC, 2 July 2026
  • In other words, women tend to burn more fat for energy than men during steady, moderate-intensity endurance exercise, such as a marathon.
    — Claire Maldarelli, Scientific American, 2 July 2026
Definition of steady
Adjective
  • Colombia earned its passage into the round of 16 with a 1-0 win over stubborn Ghana.
    — Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
  • Pickle Robot’s Physical AI unloaders tackle the dock door bottleneck, which is a stubborn pain point in inbound logistics, while AmbiStack handles the structured, high-volume stacking that feeds downstream operations.
    — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 6 July 2026
Definition of stubborn
Adjective
  • Directed by Pixar veteran Andrew Stanton, the fifth installment follows Woody (Tom Hanks), Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen), Jessie (Joan Cusack) and the gang of anthropomorphic toys as their owner Bonnie becomes addicted to her new favorite gadget, a kiddie smart tablet known as Lilypad.
    — Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 21 June 2026
  • The state does not sufficiently fund services for people who become addicted to gambling via the sports-betting apps on their phones, mental health experts say, and there are not enough therapists trained to treat gambling addiction.
    — Noelle Phillips, Denver Post, 18 June 2026
Definition of addicted

Browse Nearby Words

chromaticity
chronic
chronically
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Chronic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chronic. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of chronic for Spanish Speakers

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