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
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That the movie was so marred with contentious and unsafe labor disputes such that no one could earnestly stand by the film’s ethos during its promotion gave the whole affair an unpleasant ubiquity in the summer movie landscape. Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 23 Dec. 2024 Exploring seems to be a key theme in Cara’s career, as her music earnestly captures the complexities of growing into adulthood and how romantic relationships stir up all kinds of emotions. Rania Aniftos, Billboard, 19 Dec. 2024 The project, inspired by Becky's Mexican roots and the death of her grandfather Miguel, bursts with emotive lyrics that earnestly capture the euphoria and agony of all-consuming love. Pamela Avila, USA TODAY, 19 Dec. 2024 Johnson conceded his own hesitation to get tested in the past, but earnestly told me it can be done nowadays with a blood test. Steven Aquino, Forbes, 29 Oct. 2024 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

Dictionary Entries Near earnestly

Cite this Entry

“Earnestly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/earnestly. Accessed 2 Jan. 2025.

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