conscientious
Definitions
Careful and thorough in doing your work or duty; taking it seriously.
认真负责的，尽职尽责的，一丝不苟的。
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedFrom conscientia ('conscience') — con- + scient ('knowing') + -ious (adj.). Literally 'guided by conscience.' Someone conscientious lets their inner sense of duty drive them, so they do every task carefully and thoroughly. The root scient links it straight back to conscience.
Root sci still carries 10 more wordsWhy It Means This
Conscientious comes straight from conscience: if your conscience cares about doing things right, you become conscientious — diligent and careful. Don't mix it up with conscious (aware): a conscientious worker is dutiful, not merely awake.
Usage Guide
Pronounced /ˌkɒnʃiˈɛnʃəs/ — note the soft 'sh' twice and the stress on the third syllable (con-shi-EN-shus). The fixed phrase conscientious objector means someone who refuses military service on moral grounds.
Example Sentences
- 1.
She is a conscientious student who never misses a deadline.
- 2.
He was too conscientious to leave the job half-finished.
- 3.
Conscientious objectors refused to fight in the war.
Easily Confused
conscientious vs conscious — conscientious = hardworking and dutiful (a conscientious employee). conscious = aware or awake (conscious of the noise). They look alike but mean very different things; only conscientious is about diligence.
Synonym Comparison
- conscientious — careful and thorough out of a sense of duty
- diligent — hardworking and persistent; stresses effort
- meticulous — extremely attentive to small details
- thorough — complete, leaving nothing out
- dutiful — obediently doing what is expected, often out of respect