Meanings
comparative more earnestly · superlative most earnestly
- In an earnest manner; being very sincere; putting forth genuine effort.
One thing, however, I do most earnestly beg and entreat of you: […]
1954, Plato, translated by Hugh Tredennick, “Socrates on Trial: The Apology”, in The Last Days of Socrates (Penguin Classics), Harmondsworth, Middlesex: Penguin Books, →OCLC, page 193 more examples
The Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman and the Lion now thanked the Good Witch earnestly for her kindness, […]
1900 May 17, L[yman] Frank Baum, “The Good Witch Grants Dorothy’s Wish”, in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Chicago, Ill.; New York, N.Y.: Geo[rge] M[elvin] Hill Co., →OCLC, page 256Before long, the unsuspecting salesman was earnestly pitching him "the quietest noisemaker on the market."
1999 April 5, William Safire, “Essay; The Quiet Noisemaker”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 14 Sep 2017“This the only seat y’all got?” [Dank] Demoss, who also goes by Dajua Blanding, asks earnestly.
2025 February 11, Patrick Reilly, “500-pound rapper suing Lyft over ride denial asks for couch over chair at ‘Breakfast Club’ interview: ‘This is accommodation’”, in New York Post, New York, N.Y.: News Corp, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 12 Feb 2025Synonyms: for real
Synonyms & antonyms
adverbIn an earnest manner; being very sincere; putting forth genuine effort.
More synonyms by meaning
adverbin a serious manner
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Old Englisheornostlīċe“earnestly, strictly”
- Middle Englishernestly
- Englishearnestly
From Middle English ernestly, from Old English eornostlīċe (“earnestly, strictly”), equivalent to earnest + -ly.
More words from Middle English, Old English
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Finnish hartaasti, vakavasti
- hartaastiin an earnest manner
- vakavastiin an earnest manner
French sérieusement
- sérieusementin an earnest manner
German ernsthaft
- ernsthaftin an earnest manner
Latin certātim
- certātimin an earnest manner
Romanian în mod serios, cu seriozitate
- în mod seriosin an earnest manner
- cu seriozitatein an earnest manner
Spanish encarecidamente
- encarecidamentein an earnest manner
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
earnestly. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/earnestly
“earnestly.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/earnestly. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “earnestly,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/earnestly.
Source: earnestly on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.