as in intentness
a mental state free of jesting or trifling
practiced the art of acting with great earnestness
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Recent Examples of earnestness
Advertisement Reggie Dinkins shares an earnestness with Every Brilliant Thing.
—
Eliana Dockterman, Time, 5 Mar. 2026
Frank, played with endearing earnestness by Bale, is more of a big softie than a monster.
—ABC News, 4 Mar. 2026
The Scream series emerged during the age of the New Irony, survived the ensuing New Sincerity, and made it through several other civilizational cycles of earnestness and self-awareness before landing here in today’s era of Nothing Matters and Everything Sucks.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 27 Feb. 2026
The fashion for bushy beards, and beards’ association with authentic manliness, has followed this same trajectory from irony to earnestness during its various resurgences since the early 19th century.
—Daniel Engber, The Atlantic, 20 Feb. 2026
But its unabashed earnestness is its greatest asset.
—Zach Schonfeld, Pitchfork, 20 Feb. 2026
But there’s something about his demeanor, his earnestness, his character that has won over teammates and coaching staffs throughout the Tampa Bay system.
—John Romano, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 Feb. 2026
The earnestness transferred into the character and lifted it.
—Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2026
There’s a Leave It to Beaver earnestness about the stuff.
—Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 14 Feb. 2026
Eliana Dockterman, Time, 5 Mar. 2026
Frank, played with endearing earnestness by Bale, is more of a big softie than a monster.
—ABC News, 4 Mar. 2026
The Scream series emerged during the age of the New Irony, survived the ensuing New Sincerity, and made it through several other civilizational cycles of earnestness and self-awareness before landing here in today’s era of Nothing Matters and Everything Sucks.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 27 Feb. 2026
The fashion for bushy beards, and beards’ association with authentic manliness, has followed this same trajectory from irony to earnestness during its various resurgences since the early 19th century.
—Daniel Engber, The Atlantic, 20 Feb. 2026
But its unabashed earnestness is its greatest asset.
—Zach Schonfeld, Pitchfork, 20 Feb. 2026
But there’s something about his demeanor, his earnestness, his character that has won over teammates and coaching staffs throughout the Tampa Bay system.
—John Romano, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 Feb. 2026
The earnestness transferred into the character and lifted it.
—Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2026
There’s a Leave It to Beaver earnestness about the stuff.
—Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 14 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for earnestness
Noun
-
The episode starts in earnest when Myki learns about how the other queens voted.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
14 Feb. 2026
-
The guard's Basij force likely was key in putting down the demonstrations, starting in earnest from Jan. 8, when authorities cut off the internet and international telephone calls for the nation of 85 million people.—
SAM McNEIL AND JON GAMBRELL THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
Arkansas Online,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Because Didymos and Dimorphos are so intricately linked together by gravity, changes to one asteroid's orbit is destined to influence the other's, NASA said in a March press release.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
10 Mar. 2026
-
The probe was delayed from 2022, and headed for the asteroid Psyche, using a Mars-gravity assist and not arriving until August 2029.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
But in all seriousness, don’t sweat it.—
Angie Martoccio,
Rolling Stone,
7 Mar. 2026
-
Is there any understanding of the seriousness and horror of war?—
James Hibberd,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Earnestness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/earnestness. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
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