Hard-working
What it means
Giving steady, serious effort to work that needs doing.
Reach for it when praising a person's dependable effort over time
The hard-working apprentice practiced every joint until it held cleanly.
Words to choose between 8
| everyday | |
|---|---|
| warm | |
| professional | |
| formal |
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everyday
busy
Fits when you only mean continuously occupied
Careful Busyness may produce little value, so it is weaker praise than hard-working.
-
everyday
Fits when effort continues through discomfort or setbacks
Careful It is a poor fit for careful routine work that has not demanded adversity.
-
warm
Fits when commitment to a cause, craft, or team drives the work
Careful It does not guarantee strong day-to-day effort when commitment is only emotional.
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warm
Fits when someone keeps contributing with striking energy
Careful Use caution with ordinary sustainable effort, since tireless can exaggerate.
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professional
Fits when the worker is careful about duties and standards
Careful Conscientious is not the word for speed or volume without careful responsibility.
-
professional
Fits when care and steady attention matter as much as effort
Careful Diligent is too narrow when physical stamina or sheer output is the main praise.
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professional
Fits when the important fact is useful output
Careful Productive can describe results without praising effort or character.
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formal
Fits when the person stays productively occupied without prompting
Careful Do not choose it for one heroic burst of effort; it suggests a settled habit.
Opposites 3
- lazy
- idle
- careless
Common phrases 3
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hard-working employee
A hard-working employee kept the archive accurate during the busy move.
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hard-working team
The hard-working team repaired every classroom before term began.
-
hard-working nature
Her hard-working nature showed in the quiet preparation behind each event.
Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Updated