assiduous
adjective
Did you know?
While assiduous means “showing great care, attention, and effort,” and in some situations may be an appropriate substitute for careful, it’s got a bit more oomph than careful in that it suggests a dogged or tireless persistence. If you are assiduous in your efforts (or work, research, analysis, training, preparations, etc.) for example, it’s implied that you’re in it for the long haul, or that you have the ability to “sit with” a task or challenge for a considerable amount of time. This makes sense given that assiduous comes from the Latin verb assidēre, meaning “to sit beside.”
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The History of Assiduous
Assiduous came to English directly from the Latin assiduus, an adjective derived from the verb assidēre "to sit beside." To the ancient Romans, assiduus carried meanings ranging from “settled or rooted in place” to “constantly present” to “persistent, unremitting." This last sense was the one borrowed into English four hundred years ago and still used today, often in complimentary phrases such as "an assiduous student" and “assiduous efforts.” In the 18th century, the word took on a mildly pejorative meaning, "exhibiting a fawning attentiveness; obsequious," when used of someone striving to please. This sense has largely passed out of use.
Synonyms
Examples of assiduous in a Sentence
Mario Sesti, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
The corruption alleged is less eye-popping than assiduous.
—The Editors, National Review, 27 Sep. 2024
In this new era, Russia and China represent neither chess pieces to be moved through assiduous acts of wise statesmanship nor great-power challengers that can be handled effectively without American activism.
—Richard Fontaine, Foreign Affairs, 18 Nov. 2022
In recent years, Portland has become a byword for fashionable left-wing guff, including the notion that crime and homelessness are little more than voluntary social constructs that are better fought with kind words and substantial welfare spending than with the assiduous enforcement of the law.
—The Editors, National Review, 23 May 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Assiduous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/assiduous. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
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assiduous
adjective
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