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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
That was almost three years ago; today, Grok 4 was the only major chatbot that would earnestly fulfill this request. Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 11 July 2025 While dozens of events have been earnestly curated to benefit visitors and local community, the signs exist that the tourism industrial complex might have hobbled their growth. Juan J. Arroyo, Rolling Stone, 11 July 2025 There are some who earnestly enjoy it, but many more who are trying to get as drunk as possible and believe (accurately) that the Long Island Iced Tea is the quickest way to get there. Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 11 July 2025 Brilliant at embodying characters high on their own questionable supply, Stalter has no trouble speaking earnestly about herself or her work. Judy Berman, Time, 10 July 2025 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

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Cite this Entry

“Earnestly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/earnestly. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.

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