earnestly

[ur-nist-lee]

adverb

1. with deep and sincere feeling; seriously.

   After earnestly delivering a sermon on helping people in need, the pastor was gratified to see the record number of donations to the shelter.

Word History and Origins

Origin of earnestly¹

First recorded before 1000; earnest ¹ ( def. ) + -ly

Example Sentences

Eliot — no stranger to feline alter egos — responded earnestly to a poetic quibble.

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Stringer quickly answered, “No,” so earnestly it was impossible not to believe him.

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Not even Farrell, one of my favorite actors, can pull off David earnestly telling Sarah, “I see you.”

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But Bruce Springsteen and the raw, stripped-down recordings of his 1982 “Nebraska” album seem earnestly in opposition to such artless gamesmanship.

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Seven months after his return to power, he is earnestly expanding that promise.

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Related Words

• seriously 
• sincerely 
• soberly www.thesaurus.com
• thoughtfully www.thesaurus.com