earnestly

adverb

ear·​nest·​ly ˈər-nəst-lē How to pronounce earnestly (audio)
: in an earnest and serious manner : not lightly, casually, or flippantly
speaking earnestly
asking earnestly for forgiveness
providing the relief that they had earnestly hoped for
She spoke so earnestly, with such emotion in her voice, that Omakayas was always to remember that moment …Louise Erdrich
They sing contemporary R&B earnestly, like they borrowed it and want to return it in better condition than when they got it.Danyel Smith

Examples of earnestly in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web In the trailer, Lily-Rose Depp, playing a devout young woman, prays earnestly by candlelight. Brent Lang, Variety, 11 Apr. 2024 Getting Intimate With Fans At one point during the concert, Emilia, while walking from one stage to another, took the opportunity to speak earnestly to the audience about her connection with women in the industry and her concerns over social media bullying. Florencia Mauro, Billboard, 7 Apr. 2024 The visual and sonic presentations of the record are meticulous and intentional, and her message is clear to those who are willing to engage earnestly enough to receive it. Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 28 Mar. 2024 It should be rooted in the groundwork of setting clear expectations, offering consistent feedback and earnestly coaching team members for success. Expert Panel®, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024 But the video – simply shot, on a bench in front of a spray of spring foliage – showed Kate earnestly sharing her story on her own terms and in her own words. Lauren Said-Moorhouse, CNN, 23 Mar. 2024 The two actors who originated the roles in London and on Broadway came to the big screen in a film that is superbly acted and earnestly detailed. Robert English, EW.com, 25 Nov. 2023 Any game that earnestly places femininity on center stage deserves it. Gene Park, Washington Post, 21 Mar. 2024 The Agency is earnestly trying to protect and promote public health, but Agency experts need to think carefully about when, or whether, to give a monopoly to a drug company for a medication that has been in use for thousands of years. Peter Ubel, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'earnestly.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of earnestly was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near earnestly

Cite this Entry

“Earnestly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/earnestly. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.

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