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Showing results for earnest. Search instead for earnest+.
Definitions
Trivia Time
Who popularized the word earnest in the play The Importance of Being Earnest?

earnest

[ur-nist] / ˈɜr nΙͺst /




Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

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They are now in vogue among investors seeking protection after heavy AI-debt issuance kicked off in earnest.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 21, 2026

The activists may argue that the post was not in earnest, and that no one involved ever seriously intended to bring pills into Texas.

From Slate ● Oct. 16, 2026

The rain began lashing Turkey's largest city in earnest on Wednesday morning and intensified throughout the day, causing chaos and flash flooding, with footage showing cars being dragged away by the fast-flowing waters.

From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2026

When black enlistment began in earnest in 1863, Shaw did not campaign to lead a unit of black soldiers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026

The day after her conversation with Richard, Ophie began her investigation in earnest.

From "Ophie's Ghosts" by Justina Ireland


Vocabulary lists containing earnest

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