in earnest

ADJECTIVE

sobersided

Synonyms

WEAK

austere bound bound and determined businesslike cold sober contemplative deadpan deliberate determined downbeat earnest funereal genuine go for broke grave grim honest intent long-faced meditative no-nonsense pensive pokerfaced reflective resolute resolved sedate set severe sincere sober solemn staid steady stern thoughtful unhumorous unsmiling weighty

ADVERB

seriously

Synonyms

STRONGEST

actively earnestly passionately sincerely vigorously

STRONG

gravely

WEAK

all joking aside cool it cut the comedy determinedly down fervently for real in all conscience in all seriousness intently purposefully resolutely sedately simmer down soberly solemnly sternly straighten out thoughtfully with a straight face with forethought with sobriety zealously

Antonyms

WEAK

casually funnily lightly minor trivially

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.

It offers eternal love, betrayal, regret and redemption, in earnest if not always logical fashion.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026

Construction on housing is expected to start in earnest next year on the campus of Vermont’s Goddard College, which closed in 2024.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 7, 2026

However, it was also the year Nadal's injury struggle began in earnest.

From BBC • May 29, 2026

“It’s been in my mind since last year, and at the beginning of this year, I started — in earnest — putting something together,” Milgrom says.

From Los Angeles Times • May 19, 2026

During the summer of 1939, all of Kraków began to prepare for war in earnest.

From "The Boy on the Wooden Box" by Leon Leyson

in earnest

Example Sentences

Related Words