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

Rutherford, who has spent nearly two decades in media, has pivoted to writing earnestly while sharing her innermost thoughts online. —Essence, 13 Aug. 2024

Those were the days when the All-Star Game had some meaning as each league tried earnestly to win the game. —Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2024

In the moment, Hale wasn’t so different from Buster Bluth or Gary Walsh, earnestly and guilelessly expressing anticipation and joy. —Ky Henderson, Rolling Stone, 7 Aug. 2024

Both Paul and fellow YouTuber Mr. Beast have expressed their desires (whether earnestly or not) to run for president. —Rebecca Jennings, Vox, 2 Aug. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above