Meanings
plural earnestnesses
- countableuncountableThe quality of being earnest; sincerity; seriousness.
quiet earnestness
5 more examples
22 March 2012, Scott Tobias, AV Club The Hunger Gameshttps://web.archive.org/web/20120323195428/http://www.avclub.com/articles/the-hunger-games,71293/ She’s joined, on the boys’ side, by Peeta (Josh Hutcherson), a baker’s son whose earnestness masks a gift for strategy that Katniss lacks.
She spoke with great earnestness about the issue.
His youthful earnestness impressed the audience.
sincere earnestness
with complete earnestness
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
Translations
Ancient Greek σπουδαιότης
- σπουδαιότης (spoudaiótēs)quality of being earnest
Greek φιλότιμο, ειλικρίνεια
- φιλότιμο (filótimo)quality of being earnest
- ειλικρίνεια (eilikríneia)quality of being earnest
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
earnestness. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/earnestness
“earnestness.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/earnestness. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “earnestness,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/earnestness.
Source: earnestness on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.