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.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
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
Whose small, unpredictable steps are at one with a soccer ball, and whose positioning is opportunistic beyond reason.
—
Filip Bondy,
New York Daily News,
22 June 2026
Among them were opportunistic pathogens like Klebsiella pneumoniae, which can cause pneumonia, and Serratia ficaria, a cause of respiratory infections.
—
Olivia Young,
Travel + Leisure,
22 June 2026
The Rays were not opportunistic early, loading the bases in each of the first two innings and scoring only one run.
—
Marc Topkin,
The Orlando Sentinel,
21 June 2026
Some of the movement of players is mercenary, some is opportunistic, some is a legacy of colonialism.
—
Louisa Thomas,
New Yorker,
20 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for opportunistic
Filip Bondy,
New York Daily News,
22 June 2026
Among them were opportunistic pathogens like Klebsiella pneumoniae, which can cause pneumonia, and Serratia ficaria, a cause of respiratory infections.
—
Olivia Young,
Travel + Leisure,
22 June 2026
The Rays were not opportunistic early, loading the bases in each of the first two innings and scoring only one run.
—
Marc Topkin,
The Orlando Sentinel,
21 June 2026
Some of the movement of players is mercenary, some is opportunistic, some is a legacy of colonialism.
—
Louisa Thomas,
New Yorker,
20 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for opportunistic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for opportunistic
Adjective
-
The goal is gentle smoke and indirect heat rather than aggressive flames.
-
Right now, the multi-trillion-dollar global apparel industry is undergoing an aggressive technological shift, adopting artificial intelligence as a production standard rather than an experimental pilot.
Adjective
-
Now, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue says its diligent job is done, signaling full containment of the fires soon.
-
Since then, Roberts, who will also manage the NL All-Star team, has appreciated how diligent Pages has remained in his routine.
Adjective
-
After graduating, however, the aspiring model yearned for independence and decided to fund her own college education and apartment.
-
And yet Webster’s dictionary, and his earlier attempts at spelling reform, expressed a radical desire to forge an entirely new tongue based in the vernacular genius of the aspiring American people.
Adjective
-
Soon we were both absorbed in the process — two middle-aged people constructing our land art like industrious toddlers.
-
Or an authoritative Uncle Jimmy sun, incomparable Sydney moon and industrious Marcus ascendant.
Adjective
-
Their younger son’s back issues are indeed the least of the family’s problems, especially when a deal made with a more enterprising neighboring farmer winds up going bust.
-
Extending the life of the mission for that long could bring Voyager 1 to its 50-year anniversary, a deadline that’s setting the stage for one of the team’s most enterprising steps yet.
Adjective
-
Unlike dynamic stretching, static stretching holds muscles in a lengthened position for an extended period.
-
However, beginning in the late 1950s, advancing spacecraft technology allowed scientists to study planets, moons and smaller bodies up close, revealing worlds far more diverse and dynamic than could be seen through telescopes alone.
Cite this Entry
“Opportunistic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/opportunistic. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
