earnestly
Americanadverb
Etymology
Origin of earnestly
First recorded before 1000; earnest 1 ( def. ) + -ly
Explanation
You'd feel terrible laughing at the goofy love song your friend wrote and performed in front of an audience, especially if he sang it earnestly, or seriously and sincerely. If you do something earnestly, you do it in a serious, heartfelt way. You might earnestly promise your friend that you'll never forget her birthday again, or earnestly ask your grandmother if there's anything you can do to help her out while she's recovering from surgery. If you earnestly study for your upcoming French exam, it means you're really buckling down to learn those vocabulary words. The Old English root of earnestly is eornost, which means "seriousness or serious intent."
Vocabulary lists containing earnestly
"The Landlady" by Roald Dahl
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Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
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Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"We continue to pray, earnestly, for the safety of our colleagues," the statement said.
From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026
Claiming that Rubio is “just an earnestly funny person” and as an afterthought adding, “JD was spectacular.”
From Salon ● Jun. 12, 2026
Behind them, Lauren Lloyd, 33, visiting from Nashville, sat earnestly scribbling on her wish tag, which was filled from edge to edge with neat script.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 10, 2026
"We earnestly hope, that the 'Islamabad Talks' succeed in achieving sustainable peace and wish to share more good news in coming days," Sharif said.
From Barron's ● Apr. 8, 2026
I remember thinking, quite earnestly, that I was dead.
From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
