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
The parties are pretending to be earnestly negotiating the settlement of a federal lawsuit.
—Tom Rogers, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Apr. 2025
The system continued, musing earnestly: Is this response born of love and wisdom, or is it born of compulsion?
—D. Graham Burnett, New Yorker, 26 Apr. 2025
Startups are embarking fervently down this rocky pathway, earnestly attracting topnotch VC investments.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 22 Apr. 2025
Remmick gazes at them earnestly and speaks from his heart, or what passes for it.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 18 Apr. 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.
Tom Rogers, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Apr. 2025
The system continued, musing earnestly: Is this response born of love and wisdom, or is it born of compulsion?
—D. Graham Burnett, New Yorker, 26 Apr. 2025
Startups are embarking fervently down this rocky pathway, earnestly attracting topnotch VC investments.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 22 Apr. 2025
Remmick gazes at them earnestly and speaks from his heart, or what passes for it.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 18 Apr. 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 4 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share