earnestly

adverb

ear·​nest·​ly ˈər-nəst-lē 

: in an earnest and serious manner : not lightly, casually, or flippantly

speaking earnestly

asking earnestly for forgiveness

providing the relief that they had earnestly hoped for

She spoke so earnestly, with such emotion in her voice, that Omakayas was always to remember that moment …

—Louise Erdrich

They sing contemporary R&B earnestly, like they borrowed it and want to return it in better condition than when they got it.

—Danyel Smith

Examples of earnestly in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Some criticism was thoughtful, warranted, and earnestly reflected Kennedy’s surprising strategic missteps while leading Lucasfilm overall. —Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 23 May 2026

Today, Pakistan, Egypt, and Turkey, which also have troops and F-16 fighter jets stationed in GCC member Qatar, are earnestly pushing for negotiations aimed at ending hostilities with Iran. —Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 23 May 2026

Liu earnestly flipped through her packet. —Jane Bua, New Yorker, 14 May 2026

Devil 2 treats the work more earnestly. —Megan Garber, The Atlantic, 12 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above