These are medical words: chronic means a long-lasting condition and acute means one which is short-lived and flares up suddenly: chronic rheumatism but an acute attack of 'flu.
Chronic has spread into general usage as in chronic disrepair and in colloquial speech it can mean very bad as in: the book was chronic, though this now seems somewhat outdated.
Acute is also used outside medicine as in: I was acutely aware or: He felt an acute sense of guilt where it means sharply or piercing..
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