solicitous
Americanadjective
-
anxious or concerned (usually followed by about, for, etc., or a clause).
solicitous about a person's health.
- Antonyms:
- careless, unconcerned
-
anxiously desirous.
solicitous of the esteem of others.
-
eager (usually followed by an infinitive).
He was always solicitous to please.
-
careful or particular.
a solicitous housekeeper.
adjective
-
showing consideration, concern, attention, etc
-
keenly anxious or willing; eager
Other Word Forms
- nonsolicitous adjective
- nonsolicitously adverb
- nonsolicitousness noun
- solicitously adverb
- solicitousness noun
- unsolicitous adjective
- unsolicitously adverb
- unsolicitousness noun
Etymology
Origin of solicitous
First recorded in 1555–65, solicitous is from the Latin word sollicitus anxious. See solicit, -ous
Explanation
When you hear the word solicitous, think of your mom — attentive, caring, and concerned. It's nice when your waiter gives you good service, but if he or she is solicitous, the hovering might annoy you. Solicitous comes from the Latin roots sollus "entire" and citus "set in motion." If someone is solicitous, they are entirely set in motion caring for you. Your neighbors are solicitous if they try to help your family out all the time. Use this word too if you're eager to do something. A good student will be solicitous to appear interested in what the teacher says — even when it's not that interesting.
Vocabulary lists containing solicitous
300 Most Difficult "SAT" Words
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"The Most Dangerous Game" by Richard Connell
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Grade 12, List 6
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Jane, whose timidity is evident in the way she only reluctantly takes off her winter coat, behaves as though she’s been abducted by an overly solicitous kidnapper.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 5, 2025
They emphasise that Palace staff thought the Trumps were warm and solicitous guests in 2019, both keen not to put a foot wrong.
From BBC • Sep. 15, 2025
He first began overseeing the case in 2020, and over the months, a dualistic approach emerged: He was solicitous in the courtroom and scathing in written decisions.
From Seattle Times • Feb. 16, 2024
A courtship progressed, the male solicitous and preening.
From Scientific American • Sep. 22, 2023
This seemed to satisfy him, and he grew more solicitous.
From "The Shakespeare Stealer" by Gary L. Blackwood
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
