Word
diligent
Meanings
working hard in a careful and thorough way
showing steady, careful effort over time on a task or responsibility
Definition
Diligent describes someone who works carefully and consistently, showing steady effort and attention to detail.
If someone is diligent, they put in regular effort and take their responsibilities seriously. They work carefully, pay attention to details, and keep going even when a task is repetitive or difficult. The word often suggests reliability and thoroughness rather than speed.
Examples
- She was diligent about revising her thesis, checking every reference and formatting detail before submission.
- I try to be diligent in my training schedule, even when progress feels slow and repetitive.
- They remained diligent during the audit, documenting each step so the team could verify the process later.
- He is diligent in customer support, following up until the issue is resolved rather than rushing to close the ticket.
Common mistake
Learners often confuse diligent with intelligent; diligent means hardworking and careful, not necessarily naturally smart.
More at C1 level
- ubiquitous Present, appearing, or found everywhere at the same time.
- xenophobia Xenophobia is a strong dislike or fear of people from other countries or cultures.
- genocide Genocide is the deliberate killing of a large number of people from a particular group in order to …
- conundrum A conundrum is a confusing and difficult problem to solve.
- pretentious Trying to seem more important, intelligent, or cultured than you really are.
More adjectives
- agnostic An agnostic is someone who does not claim to know whether God exists.
- pragmatic Pragmatic means focused on practical results rather than ideals or theories.
- ubiquitous Present, appearing, or found everywhere at the same time.
- cynical Cynical describes believing that people are mainly motivated by self-interest and not sincere.
- apathetic Apathetic means showing little or no interest, concern, or enthusiasm.