industrious
[in-duhs-tree-uh s]
- working energetically and devotedly; hard-working; diligent: an industrious person.
- Obsolete. skillful.
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Origin of industrious
1525–35; < Middle French industrie “cleverness, skill,” from Old French industrie “contrivance, device,” from Latin industrius “diligent, assiduous”; equivalent to indo-, by-form of in-in-2 + -struus, noun derivative of struere “to arrange, devise, build”
Synonyms
See more synonyms for industrious on Thesaurus.com1. assiduous, sedulous, energetic.
Synonym study
1. See busy.
Antonyms
1. lazy, indolent.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for industriously
Historical Examples
He spent the morning with other men as industriously disposed as himself.
So Calhoun industriously concentrated his fire on the man trying to get above him.
Pariah PlanetMurray Leinster
Then they fired at him industriously and the charges crackled all around him.
The Pirates of ErsatzMurray Leinster
That lump had come back into her throat and she was industriously swallowing it.
A Little Miss NobodyAmy Bell Marlowe
There is where Amy will be if she keeps on as industriously as she has begun.
Reels and SpindlesEvelyn Raymond
industrious
- hard-working, diligent, or assiduous
- an obsolete word for skilful
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Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for industriously
industrious
adj.
"characterized by energy, effort, and attention," 1520s (implied in industriously), from Middle French industrieux and directly from Late Latin industriosus, from Latin industria (see industry). Retains the etymological sense. Related: Industriousness.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper