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.
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
That revelation challenges the assumption that megalodon was the exclusive ruler of the oceans and draws comparisons with the great white shark, another large opportunistic feeder.
—
Jacopo Prisco, CNN Money, 27 May 2025
Jurors — your neighbors — are being manipulated into awarding outsize verdicts by extremely skilled and opportunistic plaintiffs’ lawyers.
—Robert Tyson, Chicago Tribune, 27 May 2025
Johnson’s goal for Tottenham Hotspur against Manchester United in Wednesday’s Europa League final was in the 42nd minute, scruffy, opportunistic, but effective.
—Carl Anka, New York Times, 22 May 2025
Roughly two-thirds of the total opportunistic observations occurred in 2023 and 2024.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for opportunistic
Jacopo Prisco, CNN Money, 27 May 2025
Jurors — your neighbors — are being manipulated into awarding outsize verdicts by extremely skilled and opportunistic plaintiffs’ lawyers.
—Robert Tyson, Chicago Tribune, 27 May 2025
Johnson’s goal for Tottenham Hotspur against Manchester United in Wednesday’s Europa League final was in the 42nd minute, scruffy, opportunistic, but effective.
—Carl Anka, New York Times, 22 May 2025
Roughly two-thirds of the total opportunistic observations occurred in 2023 and 2024.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for opportunistic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for opportunistic
Adjective
-
But even in Alberta, a province that has favored development, the legacy policies are still likely not aggressive enough to meet the moment.—
Mark Le Dain,
Forbes.com,
16 June 2025
-
Most recently the administration asked the Supreme Court to clear the way for downsizing the federal workforce despite multiple court rulings that congressional approval is needed to make such aggressive reductions.—
Ragan Whitlock,
The Orlando Sentinel,
14 June 2025
Adjective
-
Soothe a sunburn No judgement: sunburns sometimes happen to even the most diligent sunscreen wearers.—
Holly Carter,
People.com,
9 June 2025
-
Some ideas include creating easy-to-use complaint systems, requiring permit numbers in all advertising, and doing diligent code enforcement, with monthly reports of actual rental days and monthly electronic collection of bed taxes.—
Teri Sforza,
Oc Register,
6 June 2025
Adjective
-
Elevated mortgage rates have exacerbated the U.S. housing affordability crisis, pushing many aspiring homebuyers to the sidelines and locking in existing homeowners.—
Giulia Carbonaro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 June 2025
-
The charges stem from accusations by former model Kaja Sokola, former TV production assistant Miriam Haley — the first accuser to testify in Weinstein’s retrial — and former aspiring actor Jessica Mann.—
Michaela Zee,
Variety,
2 June 2025
Adjective
-
Signs Of Infestation Why Carpenter Bees Drill Holes Preventing Infestation Sealing Holes Gardeners know pollinators are essential, especially those industrious bees buzzing tirelessly in and out of squash blossoms and trumpet vines.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
15 June 2025
-
Twenty-five years before Rabiot’s move to Juventus, another industrious French central midfielder had crossed the Alps to hone his trade during a five-year spell in Turin.—
Tom Williams,
New York Times,
9 June 2025
Adjective
-
While some enterprising users are already 3D printing solutions to this problem, Nintendo or some smart accessory maker should make a more official mouse holster to support this unique control scheme.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
6 June 2025
-
Their hope is pinned on the idea that an enterprising AI developer will miraculously see beyond the bounds of existing AI and derive a groundbreaking new approach that no one has yet even imagined.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
4 May 2025
Adjective
-
Soon, such models may be able to account for the role played by environmental exposures and chance—offering a more dynamic, individualized map of risk.—
Siddhartha Mukherjee,
New Yorker,
16 June 2025
-
Organizations that master this dynamic gain more than smoother project workflows.—
ESMT Berlin,
Forbes.com,
16 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Opportunistic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/opportunistic. Accessed 20 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share