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 should expect our leaders to serve earnestly and fulfill their responsibilities effectively, but also to demonstrate a baseline level of decency and moral virtue.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 28, 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
His minister father loathed rap, yet Jean teasingly and earnestly called himself “the preacher’s son,” filling his verses with biblical language that still shows up in “Quantum Leap.”
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 25, 2026
"We've waited more earnestly than anyone else," added RM.
From BBC • Jan. 13, 2026
After a while, the baboons fanned out and began digging earnestly in the soil.
From "A Girl Named Disaster" by Nancy Farmer
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.
