industrious

adjective

in·​dus·​tri·​ous in-ˈdə-strē-əs 

1

: constantly, regularly, or habitually active or occupied : diligent

an industrious worker

2

obsolete : skillful, ingenious

industriously adverb

industriousness noun

Synonyms

• active
• assiduous
• bustling
• busy
• diligent
• employed
• engaged
• hopping
• laborious
• occupied
• sedulous
• tied-up
• working

Choose the Right Synonym for industrious

busy, industrious, diligent, assiduous, sedulous mean actively engaged or occupied.

busy chiefly stresses activity as opposed to idleness or leisure.

too busy to spend time with the children

industrious implies characteristic or habitual devotion to work.

industrious employees

diligent suggests earnest application to some specific object or pursuit.

very diligent in her pursuit of a degree

assiduous stresses careful and unremitting application.

assiduous practice

sedulous implies painstaking and persevering application.

a sedulous investigation of the murder

Examples of industrious in a Sentence

He is an industrious worker.

an industrious worker who never seems to sleep

Recent Examples on the Web

So when any sliver of private land or an already existing home hits the market, there’s usually a long line of well-to-do professionals and would-be Airbnb investors from coastal cities ready to drive the price out of reach for even the most industrious working people. —Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2024

Give cross-city hiking a try on any of these urban trails that range from industrious day hikes to thru-hiking adventures. —Miles Howard, Outside Online, 17 Oct. 2024

These loans enable industrious individuals to achieve independence rather than foster long-term dependency on aid. —Bree Carriglio, Forbes, 8 Oct. 2024

An industrious tackler who played with pace and power, Anderson was one of the standout full-backs of his generation. —George Ramsay, CNN, 7 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Kids Definition

industrious

adjective

in·​dus·​tri·​ous in-ˈdəs-trē-əs 

: constantly or regularly active or occupied

an industrious farmer

industriously adverb

industriousness noun