adjectiveadverb

fleißig

diligent · diligently · hardworking

Jemand arbeitet viel und gibt sich Mühe bei seinen Aufgaben.

Definition & meaning

fleißig means diligent, hardworking, or industrious. It describes someone who puts sustained effort into a task, or work done with such effort.

It can also mean studious when describing someone who regularly applies themselves to learning. Depending on context, it emphasizes steady effort rather than simply being busy.

Grammar & Word origin

fleißig is an adjective and can also be used adverbially. Its comparative forms are fleißiger (“more diligent”) and am fleißigsten (“most diligent”). Adjectival endings vary with the noun and sentence—for example, ein fleißiger Mensch , “a diligent person.”

The word is derived from Fleiß , meaning “diligence” or “industry,” and is historically related to an old Germanic word for effort or striving.

Synonyms & antonyms

tüchtig — capable and efficient; it emphasizes competence as well as effort.
eifrig — eager and enthusiastic; it emphasizes motivation.
arbeitsam — industrious; it strongly suggests a habit of working hard.
emsig — busily and persistently active; it can sound more literary.
gewissenhaft — conscientious and careful; it emphasizes thoroughness and responsibility.

Common antonyms include:

faul — lazy; the most direct opposite.
träge — sluggish or inactive; it emphasizes lack of energy.
nachlässig — careless or negligent; it describes a lack of care rather than necessarily a lack of effort.