earnestness

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.

I arrived at Columbia in my 30s with the earnestness of a convert.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 2, 2026

Having lost his right arm, he is told, in all earnestness, “There are people who, funnily enough, would give their right arm to be able to do what you do.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 24, 2025

The emotional earnestness that would often come through in Reiner’s work first emerged here, making what could have been a run-of-the-mill exercise into something more.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 15, 2025

That’s not to say that the movie feels disingenuous; it’s brimming with earnestness, but fervor can be easily mistaken for fanfare.

From Salon • Nov. 7, 2025

The first excitement was gone from the Row now and its place was taken by a deadly cumulative earnestness.

From "Cannery Row" by John Steinbeck