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Showing results for earnest. Search instead for earnests.
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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Haskins played the earnest and beloved Mr. Belding across the “Saved by the Bell” franchise for 12 years, from 1988 to 2000.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 29, 2026

So far, the bulk of AI-related debt issuance has been funded in the U.S. investment-grade corporate-bond market since the deluge began in earnest about a year ago.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 23, 2026

That there is still much to like about the novel speaks to the charm of its earnest exploration of virtue.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 21, 2026

He gives off Boy Scout vibes with his earnest tones and short haircut.

From Salon ● Sep. 21, 2026

Barack was too earnest, too full of valiant plans, in my opinion, to abide by the hardscrabble, drag-it-out rancor that went on inside the domed capitol downstate in Springfield.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama




Vocabulary lists containing earnest


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