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
Not too serious or sappy, but with room for both earnestness and whimsy.
—
New York Times, 21 Apr. 2026
The earnestness of these calls to join is refreshing compared to the distance currently felt in many places, where the disconnection can make neighbors feel like strangers.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 10 Apr. 2026
But the Explosive News representative spoke of their efforts with a lofty earnestness.
—Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 2 Apr. 2026
His ability to balance earnestness and whimsy, dedication and delight, have reaped palpable benefits for SummerFest.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Mar. 2026
Taparjan’s voiceover fills the soundtrack with the same earnestness.
—Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 20 Mar. 2026
The violent earnestness is like a speaker-phone therapy session on a crowded subway.
—Samuel Hyland, Pitchfork, 17 Mar. 2026
That thread of earnestness in the plot and character development definitely makes its way into the finale.
—Abbey White, HollywoodReporter, 17 Mar. 2026
Advertisement Reggie Dinkins shares an earnestness with Every Brilliant Thing.
—Eliana Dockterman, Time, 5 Mar. 2026
New York Times, 21 Apr. 2026
The earnestness of these calls to join is refreshing compared to the distance currently felt in many places, where the disconnection can make neighbors feel like strangers.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 10 Apr. 2026
But the Explosive News representative spoke of their efforts with a lofty earnestness.
—Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 2 Apr. 2026
His ability to balance earnestness and whimsy, dedication and delight, have reaped palpable benefits for SummerFest.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Mar. 2026
Taparjan’s voiceover fills the soundtrack with the same earnestness.
—Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 20 Mar. 2026
The violent earnestness is like a speaker-phone therapy session on a crowded subway.
—Samuel Hyland, Pitchfork, 17 Mar. 2026
That thread of earnestness in the plot and character development definitely makes its way into the finale.
—Abbey White, HollywoodReporter, 17 Mar. 2026
Advertisement Reggie Dinkins shares an earnestness with Every Brilliant Thing.
—Eliana Dockterman, Time, 5 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for earnestness
Noun
-
Rattlesnake activity began in earnest in March, a month ahead of the start of the peak season, which is typically from April to October.—
Karen Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Apr. 2026
-
The rumor mill fired up in earnest on April 6, when a handful of fans—first on Discogs and Reddit, then across social media—reported receiving VHS tapes imprinted with BoC’s hexagon-mesh logo.—
Jazz Monroe,
Pitchfork,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Ruben comes with his own gravity, whereas Niall naturally recedes into the wallpaper.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
21 Apr. 2026
-
On the other hand, modifying gravity — according to the MOND prescription — introduces a new fundamental acceleration scale that shows up importantly at small cosmic accelerations.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Not to underplay the seriousness of the situation, of course, but the suspect never made it inside.—
Amber Harding OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
27 Apr. 2026
-
The Timberwolves gathered around DiVincenzo, recognizing the potential seriousness of his injury.—
Marcus Thompson II,
New York Times,
26 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Earnestness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/earnestness. Accessed 28 Apr. 2026.
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