CHRONIC Synonyms: 41 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

chronic

adjective

ˈkrä-nik

Definition of chronic

as in persistent

being such by habit and not likely to change a chronic smoker who has quit—many, many times

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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 Cohen blames other departments’ delays in turning over data as part of the reason for its chronic lateness. — Dakota Smith, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026 The 67-year-old has multiple chronic health conditions, and developed a urinary tract infection while in ICE detention. — Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 1 Oct. 2026 But when her daughter was barely a year old, Marris started a new medication for her chronic hip pain that could pass through breastmilk. — CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026 As reported this month, chronic absenteeism is also down more than 8 percentage points since 2022, reaching its lowest level since the pandemic. — Joshua L. Michael, Baltimore Sun, 1 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for chronic

Recent Examples of Synonyms for chronic

Adjective

Women experience functional pain at about twice the rate of men, with persistent pain in the pelvic area often becoming a debilitating factor in their daily lives.

— Annalisa Merelli, STAT, 1 Oct. 2026
While PlusAI is a software developer working on self-driving technologies, Kwan said cargo theft has been a persistent problem for the trucking industry, which is in search of solutions to better track trailers and cargo statuses.

— Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of persistent

Adjective

But Resurrection is a return to form, as our genial serial killer relocates to New York after his now-adult son starts his own murder spree.

— K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 30 Sep. 2026
In the series, ten years after her father—the infamous serial killer Gabriel Thorn—was caught, 17-year-old Ryan Shipley is back in her childhood hometown of Starling, Tennessee, trying to lay low.

— Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of serial

Adjective

One was to note that a habitual marijuana user had made some disastrous driving decisions.

— Peter Hessler, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2026
Lowery pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of involuntary manslaughter in addition to possession of a firearm by a felon in July, both Class D felonies with habitual offender status.

— Kyle Werner, Des Moines Register, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of habitual

Adjective

The cast features not just the creator, who makes the Manic Pixie Dream Girl archetype her own as ukulele troubadour Lulu, but also a pre-Bridgerton Jonathan Bailey in the wild role of an inveterate womanizer.

— Judy Berman, Time, 11 Aug. 2026
In the guest section, apparently at the invitation of one of the liberal Justices, sat Robert De Niro, an inveterate Trump critic.

— Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of inveterate

Adjective

For standard regular season games, NFL teams typically keep about 66% of ticket sales revenue, with the other 34% going to the league for its pooled sharing.

— Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 4 Oct. 2026
Centre-2026 is the latest in a series of increasingly regular military activities between China and Russia.

— Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of regular

Adjective

But then Mehmet is let go from his job teaching esoteric music practices to university students and the household’s sole steady source of income is gone.

— Jessica Kiang, Variety, 30 Sep. 2026
Fort Lauderlale’s popular south side beach area, where volleyball nets, grills and the annual Tortuga Music Festival usher in a steady mix of locals and visitors.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of steady

Adjective

The recent rise in yields reflects concerns about stubborn inflation and hawkish central bank commentary, fueling expectations that interest rates could remain elevated for longer.

— Sarah Min,Davis Giangiulio,Sawdah Bhaimiya, CNBC, 2 Oct. 2026
Even so, scaling up could force Google and SpaceX to confront some stubborn physics.

— Peter Hall, Scientific American, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of stubborn

Adjective

In March, a Los Angeles jury found Meta and YouTube negligent for designing their apps in ways that caused children to become addicted and suffer mental-health harms.

— Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 1 Sep. 2026
And Elwood was battling his own demons, having become addicted to opioids prescribed after a hip operation.

— Rob Picheta, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of addicted

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“Chronic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chronic. Accessed 5 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of chronic

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