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 In a review of electronic medical records, thousands of adults who had chronic insomnia and took melatonin for a year or longer had a 90% higher chance of heart failure over the next five years, compared with participants who had the same health factors but didn’t take melatonin. Kristen Rogers, CNN Money, 4 Nov. 2025 Exercise can boost your mood and help reduce feelings of stress and depression, which are often linked with chronic pain. Sarah Jividen, Verywell Health, 4 Nov. 2025 Both have dealt with eczema, with Tori experiencing flare-ups while Stella deals with chronic eczema and seborrheic dermatitis. Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 4 Nov. 2025 People use it recreationally (a practice that is legal in several states) and therapeutically as a treatment for anxiety, depression, insomnia, or chronic pain. Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 4 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for chronic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chronic
Adjective
  • Besides the fragility of household budgets, these persistent financial pressures reveal the critical role that financial knowledge plays in helping individuals adapt, plan, and protect themselves against volatility.
    Jason Phillips, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025
  • LogoPowered byScale logo At least 114 people have died and 127 remain missing in central Philippines after a typhoon caused destruction and widespread flooding, which local officials suggest could have been prevented if not for persistent graft in flood-control projects.
    Chad de Guzman, Time, 6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • Putin also said that Russia has begun serial production of the Oreshnik, another nuclear-capable missile.
    Christian Edwards, CNN Money, 4 Nov. 2025
  • Project partner John, whose clients have included Joel Kinnaman, Robert Davi, Wyclef Jean, Avicii, 50 Cent, Akon and Kelly Gale, came across The Match King while scoping out Swedish stories with international reach and following a conversation with Swedish serial entrepreneur Ash Pournouri.
    Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 3 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • Bennett has faced several charges in recent years, including communicating threats, domestic violence, and habitual larceny.
    Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 7 Nov. 2025
  • But the world had ended up there by passing through an unbroken series of decisions not to cut emissions and to do something else instead; and this practice had become so habitual and systemic as to threaten to determine the next phase too.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • The La Mancha manor home’s namesake, Josie, (real name is José Fernández-Pacheco) is an inveterate aesthete who is best known to Spanish television audiences as a presenter extraordinaire.
    Maite Sebastiá, Architectural Digest, 4 Oct. 2025
  • Unless just being an inveterate people-pleaser produces the same result.
    Chris Willman, Variety, 30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • McCutcheon, who scored four goals in the regular season, seems to shift into a second gear during the playoffs, having now scored three times in four postseason games.
    Tamerra Griffin, New York Times, 8 Nov. 2025
  • Managing fatigue and high blood pressure involves lifestyle changes like eating a balanced diet, staying active, and getting regular checkups.
    Alexandria Nyembwe, Health, 7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • China’s most powerful Communist leader in decades has built a reputation reinforced by state media during his 12-year rule as a serious and steady hand.
    Chris Lau, CNN Money, 4 Nov. 2025
  • Cuomo’s long resume and nostalgic campaign has kept his support steady despite an embarrassing primary defeat by Mamdani.
    David Weigel, semafor.com, 3 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • That tone—of pain, of surprise, of a stubborn refusal to be reduced or diminished—is everywhere in it.
    Questlove, The Atlantic, 7 Nov. 2025
  • If the stain is stubborn, add a few drops of dish soap to the water and vinegar mixture.
    Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • While losing friends and job offers in the wake of the scandal, Griffin fell into a deep depression and became addicted to OxyContin and benzodiazepines.
    Brianne Tracy, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2025
  • Sportsbooks could now reach all kinds of bettors — the very analytical, the very addicted and the bettor who isn’t sure about the game, but is sure about an individual player’s performance.
    David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 24 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Chronic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chronic. Accessed 10 Nov. 2025.

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