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
Among them, lithium mining is a dirty process, and the new president will need to safeguard the environment in the host areas once such mining earnestly gets underway.
—Daniel Markind, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
No one can credibly claim that X under Musk is trying to be neutral, or build a better political arena, as Bluesky, whatever its flaws, has earnestly tried to do.
—Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 10 Sep. 2025
Meanwhile, the ensemble, led earnestly by Luke Newton of Bridgerton fame, has no solid ground to stand on.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 10 Sep. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for earnestly
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Daniel Markind, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
No one can credibly claim that X under Musk is trying to be neutral, or build a better political arena, as Bluesky, whatever its flaws, has earnestly tried to do.
—Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 10 Sep. 2025
Meanwhile, the ensemble, led earnestly by Luke Newton of Bridgerton fame, has no solid ground to stand on.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 10 Sep. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for earnestly
Cite this Entry
“Earnestly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/earnestly. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share