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

In an impactful Broadway debut, the Scream star finds the sweet spot between sincerity and satire, playing Rose as earnestly naive without losing the character's strength. —Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 13 Apr. 2026

Those song titles reflect the spiritual bent of the lyrics, which Connolly sings warmly and earnestly. —George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Apr. 2026

The child was speaking like a baby gangster, yet earnestly. —Catherine Lacey, New Yorker, 5 Apr. 2026

Trump never intended to earnestly negotiate with Iran. —Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 2 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above