Idült

Idült is a Hungarian adjective meaning chronic or long-standing, used to describe conditions, diseases, or habits that persist over a long period. It often implies that the condition has endured and may resist simple or short-term remedies. The term appears in medical, social, and everyday language and can carry a somewhat negative or pejorative nuance when applied to people or behaviors.

Common collocations include idült betegség (chronic illness) and idült alkoholfogyasztás (chronic alcohol consumption). When referring to people, it is sometimes used in phrases such as idült alkoholfogyasztó (a chronic drinker) or idült dohányos (a chronic smoker), though in formal medical writing krónikus or hosszan tartó are typically preferred.

Etymology notes that idült is connected to the concept of time, rooted in a word family related to idő meaning time. The form has a historical presence in Hungarian and remains in current usage with a more informal or literary tone compared to the standard term krónikus.

Distinctions: krónikus is the neutral, widely used term for chronic in clinical and formal contexts. Idült, by contrast, conveys a stronger, sometimes stylistically marked sense of persistence and can carry judgmental overtones when describing people or habits. It is more common in everyday speech and certain literary or emphatic contexts.

See also: krónikus, hosszan tartó, tartós.