Meaning & use
earnest
Showing sincere and serious intention or feeling, without irony or insincerity.
See it in a sentence
He made an earnest apology to his sister after realizing how much he had hurt her.
The volunteers worked with earnest determination to rebuild the flooded homes.
A note on using this word
The phrase 'in earnest' means seriously or wholeheartedly, as in 'the rain began in earnest,' meaning it started fully and steadily.
Words with a similar meaning
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
insincereflippant
Make it your own
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