as in intentness
a mental state free of jesting or trifling
practiced the art of acting with great earnestness
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of earnestness
As these events unfold, Early’s earnestness blurs comedy and drama, to surprisingly heartfelt effect.
—
Ct Jones,
Rolling Stone,
20 June 2026
Western, for his part, had by this time recovered something of his usual bluster, and began again upon the subject of Blifil, commending his estate and his family with great earnestness, as though these considerations alone ought to have settled the matter long since.
—
Jay Caspian Kang,
New Yorker,
2 June 2026
Even if the earnestness is genuine, Véliz worries that the use of religious terminology and imagery around AI—deliberately or not—can make honest conversation harder to have.
—
Chris Stokel-Walker,
Scientific American,
26 May 2026
The earnestness of the Islanders was meant to be offset by the humor of production.
—
Anna Peele,
Vulture,
20 May 2026
But earnestness is the enemy of hilarity.
—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
20 May 2026
Some of the concurrent plots to the main narrative are too on the nose, and the film suffers from some earnestness, particularly where two young characters and a cute dog are involved.
—
Murtada Elfadl,
Variety,
19 May 2026
In 1987, such genuine earnestness in a song that was actually about something was novel and welcome to listeners like me, who felt alienated by Top 40 radio but were too sheltered to encounter, let alone embrace, hardcore or rap.
—
Dan Kois,
Pitchfork,
17 May 2026
Kapetan’s yearning, intimate voice is still front and center, mixing and modernizing elements of favorites of the aughts like Conor Oberst (his earnestness), Ben Kweller (his wit), and Sufjan Stevens (his beauty).
—
Brendan Hay,
SPIN,
27 Apr. 2026
Ct Jones,
Rolling Stone,
20 June 2026
Western, for his part, had by this time recovered something of his usual bluster, and began again upon the subject of Blifil, commending his estate and his family with great earnestness, as though these considerations alone ought to have settled the matter long since.
—
Jay Caspian Kang,
New Yorker,
2 June 2026
Even if the earnestness is genuine, Véliz worries that the use of religious terminology and imagery around AI—deliberately or not—can make honest conversation harder to have.
—
Chris Stokel-Walker,
Scientific American,
26 May 2026
The earnestness of the Islanders was meant to be offset by the humor of production.
—
Anna Peele,
Vulture,
20 May 2026
But earnestness is the enemy of hilarity.
—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
20 May 2026
Some of the concurrent plots to the main narrative are too on the nose, and the film suffers from some earnestness, particularly where two young characters and a cute dog are involved.
—
Murtada Elfadl,
Variety,
19 May 2026
In 1987, such genuine earnestness in a song that was actually about something was novel and welcome to listeners like me, who felt alienated by Top 40 radio but were too sheltered to encounter, let alone embrace, hardcore or rap.
—
Dan Kois,
Pitchfork,
17 May 2026
Kapetan’s yearning, intimate voice is still front and center, mixing and modernizing elements of favorites of the aughts like Conor Oberst (his earnestness), Ben Kweller (his wit), and Sufjan Stevens (his beauty).
—
Brendan Hay,
SPIN,
27 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for earnestness
Noun
-
Season 3 opens with the Battle of the Gullet, the largest naval battle in the history of Westeros, and the moment that the Dance of Dragons kicks off in earnest.
-
Canada’s work with the REACT Neuro virtual reality program started in earnest in June 2025.
Noun
-
Understanding the gravity of a red flag warning and adhering to these precautions is paramount in averting wildfires during these perilous conditions.
-
Since that date, the Philadelphia Semiconductor ETF has continued to defy gravity, adding 20%, while the Magnificent 7 as a group is down 10%.
Noun
-
Whitehead was also struck by Barer’s seriousness about her work as an agent—commitment to one’s calling being the signature quality of his protagonists.
-
In all seriousness, this isn’t meant to excuse Tampa Bay for losing a quality player.
Cite this Entry
“Earnestness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/earnestness. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.
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