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
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Johnson conceded his own hesitation to get tested in the past, but earnestly told me it can be done nowadays with a blood test. Steven Aquino, Forbes, 29 Oct. 2024 Even as his faculties worsen and his speech slurs, the earnestly funny dressings down continue to impressive and unsettling effect. Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 20 Sep. 2024 For all the joshing, the actors spoke earnestly about working on one of HBO’s flagship series. Sean Piccoli, Deadline, 20 Oct. 2024 Known for such projects as The Florida Project and Tangerine, both of which were shot on iPhones and earnestly depicted the experiences of people living on the margins of society, Baker is known for his neorealistic and grainy style. Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 12 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for earnestly 

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 1 Dec. 2024.

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