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
Noun
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The filmmaker leans pop-comic rather than petrifying in his final draft, opting for earnestness that smothers atmospheric dread.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
6 Feb. 2026 -
There are times in which Moonglow feels like an amateur production, even if the craft level remains high and Sandoval’s earnestness in capturing the genre’s essence feels admirable.—
Jordan Mintzer,
HollywoodReporter,
4 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The primary driver of these changes is the cephalad fluid shift — the upward movement of blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) that is normally pulled toward our feet by gravity.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Feb. 2026
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Neither did the other women obsessed not just with the lung-searing, leg-burning intensity of a cross-country ski race, but also with the gravity-defying, jaw-dropping sensation of flying.—
Rebecca Tauber,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
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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
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The film fully wears its heart on its sleeve, telling an earnest (if familiar) story of love and commitment through hardship.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Every season teams vie with utmost seriousness for a title that doesn’t do them any good at all when the next season comes just a few months later.—
Hannah Keyser,
CNN Money,
9 Feb. 2026
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Anthropic’s founders, as a costly signal of their seriousness, ultimately pledged to give away eighty per cent of their wealth.—
Gideon Lewis-Kraus,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The comments section features a piquant blend of solemnity, mortification, tastelessness, and transphobia, which accords with Moreschi’s reception in his lifetime.—
Dan Piepenbring,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
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Since then, Máxima has reserved it for state dinners and high-level diplomatic events, combining it with contemporary styles that allow the rubies to stand out without stiffness or excessive solemnity.—
Marta Martínez Tato,
Vanity Fair,
25 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Your decisiveness invites others to join you.—
Tarot.com,
The Orlando Sentinel,
7 Feb. 2026
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Quiet leaders know when restraint will serve the moment and when decisiveness is necessary.—
Cheryl Robinson,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Yet his playing had an otherworldly serenity that contrasted with Williams’s gentle purposefulness.—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
26 Jan. 2026
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This month also reconnects you with a sense of purposefulness.—
Meghan Rose,
Glamour,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Steady, intentional eye contact conveys attentiveness and respect.—
Cheryl Robinson,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
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Good care requires a level of presence and attentiveness that just can’t be scaled.—
Jen Zamzow,
The Conversation,
17 Dec. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Intentness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/intentness. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.
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