Synonyms of earnestness

earnestness

noun

as in intentness

a mental state free of jesting or trifling

practiced the art of acting with great earnestness

Synonyms & Similar Words

• intentness
• earnest
• gravity
• seriousness
• solemnity
• decisiveness
• solemnness
• soberness
• attentiveness
• purposefulness
• graveness
• intensity
• staidness
• sobriety
• deliberation
• resoluteness
• serious-mindedness
• determination
• gravitas
• concentration
• humorlessness
• resolve
• immersion
• firmness
• absorption
• engrossment
• enthrallment

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• levity
• flippancy
• lightness
• frivolity
• lightheartedness
• facetiousness
• frivolousness
• play
• flightiness
• lightness
• superficiality
• shallowness
• unseriousness
• cheerfulness
• dilettantism
• mirth
• glee
• dalliance
• gaiety
• merriment
• high-spiritedness

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of earnestness

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

As these events unfold, Early’s earnestness blurs comedy and drama, to surprisingly heartfelt effect. — Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 20 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

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

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