1
as in chameleon
a person who dexterously and expediently changes or adopts opinions
ever the opportunist, she immediately set about becoming the incoming administrator's new best friend
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2
as in bottom-feeder
one who does things only for his own benefit and with little regard for right and wrong
an opportunist who makes friends and then drops them as soon as they aren't useful anymore
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of opportunist
The fear Lightfoot had of being perceived as an opportunist, especially by the families, was dispelled.
—
John U. Bacon, Rolling Stone, 30 Sep. 2025
Being an opportunist isn't so bad, after all.
—Ankit Pathak, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
In the end, ever an opportunist, Alvarez testified Oppenheimer was loyal to his country, yet wrong on nukes.
—Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2025
Freelance hunters planning to travel to this region should plan on being opportunists.
—Alex Robinson, Outdoor Life, 6 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for opportunist
John U. Bacon, Rolling Stone, 30 Sep. 2025
Being an opportunist isn't so bad, after all.
—Ankit Pathak, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
In the end, ever an opportunist, Alvarez testified Oppenheimer was loyal to his country, yet wrong on nukes.
—Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2025
Freelance hunters planning to travel to this region should plan on being opportunists.
—Alex Robinson, Outdoor Life, 6 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for opportunist
Recent Examples of Synonyms for opportunist
Noun
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Gallner is acclaimed for his chameleon-like range and transformative performances in The Passenger, Strange Darling, Dinner In America and the two Smile films.—
Mike Fleming Jr,
Deadline,
22 Oct. 2025
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In other words, being a chameleon and adapting to different employees and workplace scenarios can be more effective than having a static set of values and strategies.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
9 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Here’s one out-of-the-box name who fits the high-motor description: Tony Vitello, who transformed the University of Tennessee from a bottom-feeder in the Southeastern Conference into perhaps the brashest and most talented program in the country.—
Andrew Baggarly,
New York Times,
29 Sep. 2025
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Here are some methods for scraping good music from the data wasteland, organized in a hierarchy from bottom-feeder basics to more sophisticated and ultimately, uhh, harebrained strategies.—
Kieran Press-Reynolds,
Pitchfork,
31 July 2025
Noun
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When the shark measuring about 10 feet didn’t fit through the door, Mucerino and Burress got a bite of inspiration.—
Amanda Hancock,
Louisville Courier Journal,
24 Oct. 2025
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Most sharks, of course, slice and dice tuna and other fishes, and occasionally the rare human.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Thus the self-seekers and the doctrinaires were drawn together into an alliance to maintain the status quo, and all its abuses and inequalities were made sacrosanct.—
Foreign Affairs,
Foreign Affairs,
18 Dec. 2011
Noun
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The former vice-president’s characterizations of peers such as Pete Buttigieg (talented but too gay for the America to accept as her running mate), and Josh Shapiro (an egoist) are not particularly juicy, but have already caused bad blood.—
Book Marks
September 25,
Literary Hub,
25 Sep. 2025
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His characters come off as feisty egoists who enjoy sparring and comparing the size of their ambitions.—
Justin Davidson,
Vulture,
13 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Opportunist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/opportunist. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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