EARNESTNESS Synonyms: 48 Similar and Opposite Words

earnestness

noun

Definition of earnestness

as in intentness

a mental state free of jesting or trifling practiced the art of acting with great earnestness

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Recent Examples of earnestness Adults is almost always at its best when there’s a method to the madness, a kernel of earnestness at the heart of it all. — Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026 That the earnestness the genre requires galls us cynics, who love to hide in our books, away from all those pesky bodies in the first place? — Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 13 Aug. 2026 There are hints of Gilmore Girls in the show’s quaint setting and generational role reversal, traces of Dawson’s Creek in its adolescent earnestness. — Judy Berman, Time, 4 Aug. 2026 After casting was complete, the single most important goal for the creative team was not letting the parody aspect of the work take away any of the earnestness from their performances. — Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 4 Aug. 2026 And by this point, the cultural tide had also turned against his earnestness. — Tope Folarin, The Atlantic, 22 July 2026 That earnestness doesn’t quite vanish in Heartstopper Forever. — Abbey White, HollywoodReporter, 18 July 2026 There was an earnestness to it that’s very rare in literary fiction. — Adam Messinger, Los Angeles Times, 16 July 2026 The Stranger Things star’s performance expertly balances cringeworthy earnestness with calculating sociopathy, making Kurt’s desperate quest for attention all the more believable. — Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 15 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for earnestness

Noun

By May 2026, all 11 of xAI’s original cofounders had departed the company, a cascade that began in earnest in February when Tony Wu, described as one of the most operationally central cofounders, announced his resignation.

— Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 24 June 2026
Modern viticulture began in earnest here in the 1970s before blossoming in the ’90s.

— Sam Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 22 June 2026

Definition of earnest

Noun

Based on Pioneer 10's success, NASA mission managers decided to slingshot Pioneer 11 around Jupiter in a gravity assist to send it even deeper into space for a Saturn flyby.

— Tariq Malik, Space.com, 1 Sep. 2026
The canal system that carries it from western Arizona is a gravity-defying product of 1960s optimism and more than $4 billion in building costs.

— Alex Hager, NPR, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of gravity

Noun

These statements show a total disregard for confidentiality, basic investigative standards and the seriousness of ethics violations.

— Collin Corbett, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026
Adults’s Gen-Z characters tend to see their comforts as transient, their identities as mutable, and seriousness as an annoying obligation, all of which the second season pokes at a bit.

— Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of seriousness

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earnestly

earnestness

earning

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“Earnestness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/earnestness. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of earnestness

noun

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