(of a disease 疾病 lasting for a long time; difficult to cure 长期的；慢性的；难以治愈（或根除）的 chronic bronchitis/arthritis/asthma 慢性支气管炎／关节炎／哮喘
having had a disease for a long time 长期患病的 a chronic alcoholic/depressive 慢性酒精中毒者；长期抑郁症患者
(of a problem 问题 lasting a long time; difficult to solve 持续很长时间的；难以解决 the country’s chronic unemployment problem 该国长期存在的失业问题 a chronic shortage of housing in rural areas 农村地区住房的长期匮乏
- (British English, informal)
very bad 糟透的；拙劣的
Word Originlate Middle English: from French chronique, via Latin from Greek khronikos ‘of time’, from khronos ‘time’.