enterprising

American

[en-ter-prahy-zing] / ˈɛn tərˌpraɪ zɪŋ /

adjective

ready to undertake projects of importance or difficulty, or untried schemes; energetic in carrying out any undertaking.

Business is in need of enterprising young people.

Synonyms:

adventurous, resourceful, venturesome, venturous

Antonyms:

cautious, timid
characterized by great imagination or initiative.

an enterprising foreign policy.

enterprising British

/ ˈɛntəˌpraɪzɪŋ /

adjective

ready to embark on new ventures; full of boldness and initiative

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Related Words

See ambitious.

Other Word Forms

enterprisingly adverb
nonenterprising adjective
unenterprising adjective
unenterprisingly adverb

Etymology

Origin of enterprising

First recorded in 1565–75; enterprise + -ing ²

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

And they must seem intelligent without actually being enterprising enough to stand out from the crowd of near-identical films.

From Salon

Our enterprising Gravedigger, a true woman of science, engineers a lizard elixir and regenerates the finger into a long tentacle that eventually demands a body.

From Los Angeles Times

One drawback of Wales' enterprising style under Bellamy is the way in which it can leave them defensively vulnerable.

From BBC

And then, the sea change around NIL meant that an enterprising coach like Underwood could suddenly bid for Europe’s highly advanced teenagers on the open market.

From The Wall Street Journal

Mr. Lew knew everything about the pieces, but he wasn’t the most enterprising salesman.

From Literature

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023