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
Louise ErdrichThey sing contemporary R&B earnestly, like they borrowed it and want to return it in better condition than when they got it.—Danyel Smith
Danyel SmithExamples of earnestly in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Some of the video makers appeared to be asking earnestly about the president’s well-being, while others appeared to be acting mischievously, sowing confusion for political or financial reasons.
—Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2025
From the first moment, the vibe is off, as Brady looks earnestly at Rooney, the England legend mumbles and gives vague answers.
—Zak Garner-Purkis, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2025
There are some who earnestly enjoy it, but many more who are trying to get as drunk as possible and believe (accurately) that the Long Island Iced Tea is the quickest way to get there.
—Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 30 Aug. 2025
Over the past year-plus, there have been scores of exceedingly polite and earnestly optimistic emails exchanged with officials in Thai consulates and embassies, U.S. embassies, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations.
—Teri Sforza, Oc Register, 22 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for earnestly
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Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2025
From the first moment, the vibe is off, as Brady looks earnestly at Rooney, the England legend mumbles and gives vague answers.
—Zak Garner-Purkis, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2025
There are some who earnestly enjoy it, but many more who are trying to get as drunk as possible and believe (accurately) that the Long Island Iced Tea is the quickest way to get there.
—Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 30 Aug. 2025
Over the past year-plus, there have been scores of exceedingly polite and earnestly optimistic emails exchanged with officials in Thai consulates and embassies, U.S. embassies, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations.
—Teri Sforza, Oc Register, 22 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for earnestly
Cite this Entry
“Earnestly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/earnestly. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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