industrious
gb/ɪndˈʌstɹiəs/ us/ɪndˈʌstɹiəs/
B2
English
~ 7000
Senses
0 senses
adjective
B2
property
1
hardworking and diligent
Working hard for a long time and not wasting time.
Usage pattern:
an industrious [person]
Common mistake:
Learners often confuse "industrious" with "industrial". "Industrious" describes people (or sometimes animals or groups) who work hard: "an industrious student". "Industrial" relates to industry, factories, or manufacturing: "an industrial area", "industrial production". Another mistake is overusing "industrious" in casual speech where "hardworking" sounds more natural.
Synonyms
hardworking (More common and slightly simpler; focuses mainly on effort, without the slightly formal tone of "industrious".)
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diligent (Similar meaning but often suggests careful, attentive work as well as steady effort; a bit more formal.)
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conscientious (Emphasizes doing work carefully and correctly because of a strong sense of duty, not just working a lot.)
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assiduous (Formal and less common; stresses continuous, very careful effort over time.)
Antonyms
lazy (Direct opposite, suggesting someone does not want to work or avoids work.)
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idle (Suggests not working or not being active, sometimes by choice.)
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slothful (Strong, slightly formal word suggesting extreme laziness and lack of effort.)
Collocations
industrious student
|industrious worker
|industrious people
|industrious population
|industrious community
|quietly industrious
Themes
work
|personality
|education
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She is an industrious student who spends several hours every evening reviewing her notes.
- The company quickly promoted him because of his industrious attitude and reliability.
- Their grandparents were poor but incredibly industrious, building a small business from nothing.
- An industrious team of volunteers finished cleaning the beach in just one morning.
- He is quiet and modest, but everyone knows how industrious he is behind the scenes.
Learner examples
- Maria is very industrious and studies every night.
- The company wants industrious workers who do not waste time.
- Tom is lazy, but his sister is industrious.
- Our new neighbor is an industrious young man with two jobs.
- Industrious students often get good grades.
Grammar
Dictionary form
industrious
IPA
GB/ɪndˈʌstɹiəs/
US/ɪndˈʌstɹiəs/
Syllables & stress
in - dus - tri - ous (4 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (dus)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: industrious
Word family
Core family
industriously
adverb
industriousness
noun
Related words
industry
noun B1
industrial
adjective B1
industrialize
verb C1
industrialization
noun
industrialist
noun
Advanced or less common
industrialism
noun
Expressions
No expressions linked to this entry yet.