earnestly

adverb

ear·​nest·​ly ˈər-nəst-lē 

: 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

Remember how earnestly the players relished the competition? —Bennett Durando, The Denver Post, 15 Feb. 2025

The shot was so impressive that the not-easily impressed Northern Irishman earnestly laughed in amazement with his caddie. —Brody Miller, The Athletic, 14 Feb. 2025

But here these beats play just too earnestly, deflating any potential humor in the film’s last act. —Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 6 Feb. 2025

Eventually, DreamWorks Animation would begin to earnestly tackle heavier themes rather than just razzing audiences with references, though even after emerging from this creative desert, nothing in the filmography compares to The Prince of Egypt. —James Grebey, Vulture, 31 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above