Definition of opportunistnext
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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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of opportunist Farage has instituted a May 7 deadline for prospective Conservative defectors to officially switch to Reform, warning that his party will not be open to last-minute opportunists seeking to court his growing support base closer to election time. Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 26 Jan. 2026 Thousands of players entered the portal this cycle and the sport’s biggest opportunists (and spenders) were active early. Shawn McFarland, Dallas Morning News, 16 Jan. 2026 On the other side, the Reverend Al Sharpton, a corpulent, demagogic presence, took up the victims’ cause, and was seen by some as a radical, and by almost everyone as an opportunist. Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 12 Jan. 2026 The movie follows a group of petty cheats, liars and drunks who are duped by nefarious opportunists who visit their crumbling town. John Penner, Los Angeles Times, 8 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for opportunist
Recent Examples of Synonyms for opportunist
Noun
  • The social media maven’s new haircut framed her high-octane glamour beauty look, which cemented her status as a beauty chameleon.
    Lara Walsh, InStyle, 16 Mar. 2026
  • Chappell Roan has been flexing her beauty chameleon muscle this week while jaunting about Paris Fashion Week.
    Mykenna Maniece, Vogue, 5 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Games against real teams will reveal far more about the Magic’s mindset than any blowout over a bottom-feeder.
    Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 21 Feb. 2026
  • The Warriors already might be too far ahead in the standings to catch bottom-feeders like the New Orleans Pelicans, Sacramento Kings and Indiana Pacers in the race to maximize their draft-lottery odds.
    Bryan Toporek, Forbes.com, 20 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • Waterbirds eat crab, shrimp and crayfish found in the muddy waters, while batrays and leopard sharks glide effortlessly through grass beds off the coast.
    Chase Hunter, Mercury News, 16 Mar. 2026
  • Weisberg clarified there were three sharks total.
    Lina Ruiz, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • 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
  • Fittingly, the song’s thumping beat is heard twice, real loud, in Rosebush Pruning, Karim Aїnouz’s high-gloss, pitch-dark satire about an American family described by one of its scions as mediocre, vapid egotists, who will never have to work thanks to a large inheritance.
    David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 14 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • 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
  • His characters come off as feisty egoists who enjoy sparring and comparing the size of their ambitions.
    Justin Davidson, Vulture, 13 May 2025
Noun
  • The schemer makes out with bags of money, while the followers are left with nearly worthless assets.
    Frank Landymore, Futurism, 12 Mar. 2026
  • Layups for the quarterback Roman did not do enough as a schemer and play caller to provide easy completions for Herbert.
    Daniel Popper, New York Times, 26 Jan. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Opportunist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/opportunist. Accessed 24 Mar. 2026.

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