opportunistic

adjective

Definition of opportunisticnext
as in aggressive
attentive to and ready to act on opportunities for personal gain or advancement The opportunistic salesperson was always on the lookout for potential new customers.

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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 opportunistic Family offices were able to make opportunistic plays in oil and gas in the years after the Covid pandemic as traditional investors backed away from the sector due to pressure from environmentally conscious stakeholders. — Hayley Cuccinello, CNBC, 10 Sep. 2026 According to Professor Jones, the tapestry gives us not just a story of a proud, self-regarding, opportunistic man (Harold) who overstretches himself. — Mark Rice-Oxley, Christian Science Monitor, 4 Sep. 2026 Wasserman Schultz’s decision to run in the historically Black 20th Congressional District was selfish and opportunistic carpetbagging, a devastating usurpation of power from Black Floridians. — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 31 Aug. 2026 Because coverage expanded far faster than state oversight guardrails, opportunistic bad actors rushed in to exploit the system. — Richard Popiel, Boston Herald, 30 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for opportunistic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for opportunistic
  1. aggressive
  2. diligent
  3. aspiring
  4. industrious
  5. enterprising
  6. dynamic
Adjective
  • These two phases of work are joined by Serra’s implicit disavowal of abstraction as a form of imagemaking in favor of an object’s aggressive purchase on the real.
    — Jeffrey Weiss, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Her challenger is Herb Morgan, a Republican from San Diego who promises a more aggressive approach to the job.
    — Dakota Smith, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of aggressive
Adjective
  • Edwards said Brown was diligent in going to work and didn’t worry about the weather at all.
    — Rebecca White, New York Daily News, 27 Sep. 2026
  • Set in the summer of 1970, the story turns on the diligent civil servant Heikki who decides to host a high-ranking Soviet diplomat at his family’s lakeside cottage.
    — Annika Pham, Variety, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of diligent
Adjective
  • Ilaria, a 30-year-old aspiring fashion designer who works in retail, has her eyes on the yellow silk camisole, which sold out online.
    — Joe Bobowicz, Vogue, 2 Oct. 2026
  • The couple married in 2008, and Siebel Newsom was quickly cast in the role of stabilizing force, an attractive, wealthy, and engaged political partner for an aspiring politician.
    — Joe Hagan, Vanity Fair, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of aspiring
Adjective
  • Loosehead Boris Wenger and backrow Joaquin Moro were industrious and both scored tries while fullback Geronimo Piscatelli was a constant attacking threat, scoring one try and missing two others.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Alongside his final-third prowess, Fernandes was industrious across the pitch, playing eight passes into the final third per game, more than any other United player.
    — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of industrious
Adjective
  • From an honorary Founding Father to an enterprising immigrant, the meaning of Columbus to the Americas is diverse and ever-changing.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Bridget also proves to be an enterprising young woman, negotiating a higher salary for herself within seconds of accepting the new job.
    — Chris Spargo, PEOPLE, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of enterprising
Adjective
  • This dynamic exploded in 2021 with Beeple’s $69 million sale to the crypto financier Vignesh Sundaresan, also known as MetaKovan, at Christie’s.
    — Simon Denny, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
  • As agents continuously dispatch tasks and process dynamic data streams, the importance of central processing units, or CPUs, is rising rapidly.
    — , CNBC, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of dynamic

Browse Nearby Words

opportunist
opportunistic
opportunists
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Cite this Entry

“Opportunistic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/opportunistic. Accessed 4 Oct. 2026.

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