Words / C1

DIL-ij-uh-nt/ˈdɪlɪdʒənt/

Diligent means working hard and with care over time — a steady habit. Hard-working is everyday; conscientious stresses duty and thoroughness. Diligence is the noun (due diligence is a specialised business sense), and in speech she puts the hours in is more natural. It is praise, not a synonym for clever; a diligent search is also a set phrase for a careful hunt.

Meaning

Working hard and with care over a period of time.

Examples

• “Diligent practice improved her pronunciation.”
• “Diligent note-taking showed in the final paper.”
• “After a diligent search, they still could not find the missing file.”

Good to know

Hard-working and careful over time. Noun: diligence. Everyday: hard-working. Close: conscientious.

Near in meaning

hard-working

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