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intentness

noun

Definition of intentnessnext
as in earnestness
a mental state free of jesting or trifling studied the dance steps with obvious intentness

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for intentness
  1. earnestness
  2. gravity
  3. earnest
  4. seriousness
  5. solemnity
  6. decisiveness
  7. purposefulness
  8. attentiveness
Noun
  • Elizabeth Strout illustrates a kind man with an endearing earnestness about him who struggles with the fact that the world is not so simple anymore.
    — Kat Chen, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Sep. 2026
  • The diaries—particularly in Julian Sachs’s unexpurgated version, which captures Pavese’s alternating earnestness, archness, and pungent vulgarity—pose something of a problem.
    — Max Norman, Harpers Magazine, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of earnestness
Noun
  • Now life was like that; some days fine and firm and full of whatever, while other days the hoarse bark of the neighbors’ dog or a friend’s grim diagnosis and her body succumbed to an emotional gravity that pulled her into a free fall.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Against logic and gravity, though, Kelce revived himself last season.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of gravity
Noun
  • By May 2026, all 11 of xAI’s original cofounders had departed the company, a cascade that began in earnest in February when Tony Wu, described as one of the most operationally central cofounders, announced his resignation.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 24 June 2026
  • Modern viticulture began in earnest here in the 1970s before blossoming in the ’90s.
    — Sam Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 22 June 2026
Definition of earnest
Noun
  • The piece suggests that treating the remarks as a joke does not resolve their seriousness.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 23 Sep. 2026
  • While his injuries may make incarceration unlikely, the seriousness of his conduct cannot be overlooked.
    — Christina Hall, Freep.com, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of seriousness
Noun
  • Gore is best known for Make America Great Again, her 2016 naked portrait of Trump with the paunch and solemnity of the great men of art history, adding, crucially, the tiniest of compensatory micropenises.
    — Eugenie Brinkema, ARTnews.com, 14 June 2026
  • As his own self-celebration has fizzled, a void has opened between the scheduled roster of events and the true purpose and meaning of the solemnity of July 4, 2026.
    — David Frum, The Atlantic, 31 May 2026
Definition of solemnity
Noun
  • The window to capitalize on these moves is narrow, demanding precision and decisiveness.
    — David Capablanca, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Cousins’ decisiveness and awareness are key traits Las Vegas wants Mendoza to observe and learn to emulate.
    — Sam Warren, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of decisiveness
Noun
  • Yet his playing had an otherworldly serenity that contrasted with Williams’s gentle purposefulness.
    — Alex Ross, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026
  • This month also reconnects you with a sense of purposefulness.
    — Meghan Rose, Glamour, 1 Oct. 2025
Definition of purposefulness
Noun
  • In terms of hospitality, expect a high level of attentiveness.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Sep. 2026
  • The Moores used a lot of attentiveness — and prayer — to protect their son.
    — Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of attentiveness
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.

Browse Nearby Words

intently
intentness
intents
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Cite this Entry

“Intentness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/intentness. Accessed 25 Sep. 2026.

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