Etymology and nuance of the word

It's the Word of the Day podcast for june twenty first. This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance Do you ever think about switching insurance companies to see if you could save some cash? Progressive makes it easy to see if you could save when you bundle your home and auto policies. Try it at progressive d. com Progressive casualty insurance company and affiliates, potential savings will vary not available in all states Today's word is assiduous, spelled A S S I D U O U S. Asiduous is an adjective It's a formal word that means showing great care, attention, and effort Here's the word used in a sentence from progress confonfessions of a bus boy, dishwasher, Caddy, Usher, factory worker, bank teller, corporate tool, and priest by James Martin. My mom was also assiduous about what we would today call food safety avoiding anything that could possibly cause illness, especially raw meat Well done was the norm for everything, and anything that could possibly go bad was kept in the fridge While assiduous means showing great care, attention and effort and in some situations may be an appropriate substitute for the word careful, It's got a bit more oph than careful in that it suggests a dogged or tireless persistence If you are assiduous in your efforts or work, research, analysis, training, preparations, etcer For example, it's implied that you're in it for the long haul, or that you have the ability to sit with a task or challenge for a considerable amount of time