as in solemn
not joking or playful in mood or manner
I'll accept only an earnest apology from you
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in intentness
a mental state free of jesting or trifling
I am in deadly earnest about this marriage proposal
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of earnest
Lauryn Higgins, Parents, 22 Dec. 2025
This book should be sent to the White House, and to our earnest Attorney General, and to everyone in this country able to read—which may, however, alas, be a most despairing statement.
—Literary Hub, 22 Dec. 2025
James Powel, USA Today, 2 Aug. 2025
Earnings seasons get going in earnest over the coming week, with Wall Street eager to find out how much of the tariff are impacting margins.
—Sydney Lake, Fortune, 13 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for earnest
Adjective
In this equally goofy and earnest adaptation of Charles Dickens’s classic tale, Michael Caine stars as Ebenezer Scrooge, guided, instructed, and eventually embraced by the lovable Muppets.
—Noun
The Oak Bluffs community envisioned by the collection started in earnest when Charles Shearer opened Shearer Cottage in 1912, according to The Root.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for earnest
Adjective
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More than five hours after the crash, there was a solemn procession off of Route 146 led by Massachusetts State Police, followed by the medical examiner and fellow police officers.—
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That this is a serious matter—not slight at all—does not oblige the author of a seriously funny book to be solemn.—
Adjective
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The lawsuit names specific brands — including cereals, pizzas, sodas, and potato chips — linking them to serious health problems.—
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Kittle was carted off the field, indicating a serious injury, after he was tackled by safety Marcus Epps at the right sideline.—
Noun
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The current leading lights in rock are largely admired for their raw earnestness.—
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Part of what comes to me, Roxana, is my sincerity and my earnestness.—
Adjective
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Several French and Italian citizens were among the dead, and Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni called for stern punishment to be meted out to those responsible for the blaze.—
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Continue reading … FLIP-FLOP – Reporter claims Harris privately joked about question before stern response.—
Noun
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The system places users in a zero-gravity posture originally developed for aerospace applications.—
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Cruz and other Republicans argued the decision minimized the gravity of an attack on the judiciary and could encourage future political violence.—
Cite this Entry
“Earnest.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/earnest. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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