diligent

/ˈdɪlɪdʒənt/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈdɪlɪdʒənt/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈdi-lə-jənt/ (ame, mw)

diligent — adjective

  • diligentpositive
  • more diligentcomparative
  • most diligentsuperlative

1. A diligent person puts a lot of care and steady effort into their work, studies,

1.形容詞B2
釋義

A diligent person puts a lot of care and steady effort into their work, studies, or duties, making sure everything is done properly and nothing is missed.

例句

Mei-Lin is a diligent student who always finishes her homework before going out with friends.

diligent + student (person noun)

Olu received praise from his manager for being a diligent worker who never misses a deadline.

同義詞
  • hardworking

    more general than diligent; focuses on putting in effort but does not highlight attention to detail

  • industrious

    suggests a natural habit of working hard and steadily; slightly more formal than hardworking

  • conscientious

    adds a moral sense of doing things carefully because you care about doing them right

  • assiduous

    more formal; emphasizes constant attention and effort over a long period

反義詞
  • lazy

    reluctant to work or make an effort; opposite in both effort and care

  • negligent

    failing to take proper care; opposite in the careful-attention aspect

  • careless

    not paying enough attention; opposite of the detailed-effort aspect

文法句型

diligent + noun (student, worker, nurse)

be diligent in + noun/verb-ing

用法筆記

Frequently followed by the prepositions 'in' or 'about': diligent in her work / diligent about following rules. The subject is always a person or group of people; does NOT apply to machines, tools, or abstract systems.

常見錯誤

❌She is very diligent in the kitchen.
✅She is a diligent cook who cleans as she works.
💡'diligent' implies care plus effort, not just being active or busy in a place.
❌My dog is very diligent when fetching the ball.
✅My dog is very enthusiastic when fetching the ball.
💡'diligent' describes careful human effort, not instinctive animal behaviour.

2. Used to describe an action, piece of work, or process that is carried out with g

2.形容詞B2
釋義

Used to describe an action, piece of work, or process that is carried out with great care, attention to detail, and steady effort over a period of time.

例句

After years of diligent research, the Watanabe team finally developed a more effective vaccine.

diligent + research (abstract work noun)

The artist's diligent work on the mural took more than six months to complete.

同義詞
  • thorough

    emphasizes completeness; a thorough investigation covers every possible area

  • painstaking

    stresses the extreme care and time taken; slightly stronger than diligent

  • meticulous

    focuses on attention to tiny details; often used for checking, planning, or craft work

  • careful

    less formal and less intense; does not suggest steady effort over time

反義詞
  • careless

    opposite in both attention and effort

  • hasty

    done too quickly without proper care; opposite of the steady-effort aspect

  • sloppy

    informal; opposite in attention to detail

文法句型

diligent + abstract noun (research, effort, investigation, work)

用法筆記

Unlike Sense 1, this sense does not describe a person's character — it describes the nature of the work or process itself. Common with nouns like research, investigation, effort, study, examination, preparation. Does NOT apply to physical activities (jogging, cooking dinner) unless they involve careful analysis.

常見錯誤

❌I went for a diligent run this morning.
✅I went for a careful run this morning.
💡'diligent' does not describe routine physical exercise.
❌She made a diligent cake for the party.
✅She made a cake with diligent attention to every ingredient.
💡when describing an object or result, restructure to focus on the process.