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

Relevance

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
  • But the earnestness of their performances, the texture of their hesitation, makes the video far more compelling than any of its deepfake counterparts.
    — Brady Brickner-Wood, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Still, there’s something to the earnestness with which the movie does finally have its daddy issues and its cetacean ones intersect.
    — Alison Willmore, Vulture, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of earnestness
Noun
  • Temporary satellites, or mini-moons, are small asteroids that wander into Earth’s neighborhood and get captured briefly by our planet’s gravity.
    — Andrew Jones, Space.com, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Its forward motion carries it around Earth while gravity pulls it toward the planet.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 25 Oct. 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
  • But this particular reality show tries to justify its controversial existence by proclaiming its seriousness with regards to psychology, philosophy, and current events.
    — Judy Berman, Time, 21 Oct. 2026
  • There’s a level of seriousness that belies the 90-minute comedy film he’s made, which features an imbecilic white rapper who speaks in Caribbean-British slang and a contraption that shoots bullets out of one’s rear end.
    — Lacey Rose, HollywoodReporter, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of seriousness
Noun
  • Juxtaposing the solemnity of Victorian mourning with his characteristically surreal theatricality, Browne transformed the runway into a narrative about fashion’s power to bring its devotees back to life.
    — Livia Caligor, Vogue, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Adding to the solemnity of the occasion was a string quartet that played two slow movements from Alban Berg’s Lyric Suite.
    — Peter E. Gordon, The New York Review of Books, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of solemnity
Noun
  • Jones flashed his decisiveness and speed on the ensuing play, gaining 14 yards on a quarterback keeper.
    — Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Oct. 2026
  • While Whitman has no grocery experience and little retail experience (from her time as CEO of eBay), she was brought in by Albertsons for her turnaround chops and decisiveness.
    — Phil Wahba, Fortune, 13 Oct. 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
  • Next-level attentiveness from friendly staff certainly helps.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Pisces February 19 – March 20 Relationships benefit from attentiveness today.
    — Tarot.com, Chicago Tribune, 8 Oct. 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
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Intentness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/intentness. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of grotesque

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All