Synonyms for diligent
- adjective
Most common
All synonyms
Adjective
industrious, assiduous, hard-working, persevering, careful, active, tireless, studious, patient, painstaking, attentive, untiring, earnest, busy, laborious, expeditious, sedulous, plodding, notable, worky informal, indefatigable, unwearied dated
Definitions
- adj. 1
Performing with industrious concentration; hard-working and focused.
Scientists are very diligent in their work.
Choose the right word
Active refers to both quickness and constancy of action; in the former sense it is allied with agile, alert, brisk, etc.; in the latter, with busy, diligent, industrious. The active love employment, the busy are actually employed, the diligent and the industrious are habitually busy.
J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)
Example sentences
- careful You should be careful in crossing the busy street.
- industrious Algerians used to be industrious and hard workers.
- persevering Success is always on the side of the persevering.
- assiduous He is assiduous in reading as many Russian books as possible.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| diligent | steady | |
| careful | steady | |
| industrious | falling | |
| persevering | steady | |
| assiduous | steady |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 4 letters
- busy2
- 5 letters
- worky
- 6 letters
- active2
- 7 letters
- patient2, careful2, notable3, earnest2
- 8 letters
- tireless3, plodding2, studious3, untiring, sedulous
- 9 letters
- attentive3, laborious4, assiduous3, unwearied
- 11 letters
- painstaking3, industrious4, persevering4, expeditious4
- 13 letters
- indefatigable6
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (busy2 = 2 syllables).