diligently
Americanadverb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of diligently
Explanation
Doing something diligently means doing it thoroughly and well. It's the opposite of doing it lazily or shoddily. If you are tireless, persevering, and do things with great care, then you do things diligently. This is an adverb that goes with hard and careful work. If you have a test coming up, the more diligently you review your materials, the better your grade will be. Workers who do their job diligently tend to get promoted. Some dogs diligently pursue squirrels in the park. When someone uses this word about something you've done, it's a huge compliment.
Vocabulary lists containing diligently
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Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
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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.
The quarterback has worked diligently to change his shotgun stance, now putting his left foot in front of his right, and has sped up his decision making to get the ball to playmakers in space.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026
"We will therefore continue to train diligently and intensively, so that we are fully prepared in peacetime and able to carry out our missions in wartime."
From Barron's ● Aug. 5, 2026
“I started at the top and diligently worked my way to the bottom,” he said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
If you save diligently throughout your working life, chances are good you’re going to end up some kind of rich.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026
As long as The Spread Eagle paid her a dollar a column for her ‘rubbish’, as she called it, Jo felt herself a woman of means, and spun her little romances diligently.
From "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott
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.
