What does earnestness mean?

Definitions for earnestness
earnest·ness

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word earnestness.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. earnestness, seriousness, sinceritynoun

    an earnest and sincere feeling

  2. seriousness, earnestness, serious-mindedness, sinceritynoun

    the trait of being serious

    "a lack of solemnity is not necessarily a lack of seriousness"- Robert Rice

Wiktionary

  1. earnestnessnoun

    The quality of being earnest; sincerity; seriousness.

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary

  1. Earnestnessnoun

    Etymology: from earnest.

    Often with a solemn earnestness,
    More than, indeed, belong’d to such a trifle,
    He begg’d of me to steal it. William Shakespeare, Othello.

    Audacity and confidence doth in business so great effects, as a man may doubt, that besides the very daring and earnestness, and persisting and importunity, there should be some secret binding, and stooping of other mens spirits to such persons. Francis Bacon, Natural History, №. 943.

    Marcus is overwarm; his fond complaints
    Have so much earnestness and passion in them,
    I hear him with a secret kind of horror,
    And tremble at his vehemence of temper. Joseph Addison, Cato.

    There never was a charge maintained with such a shew of gravity and earnestness, which had a slighter foundation to support it. Francis Atterbury, Sermons, Preface.

    With overstraining, and earnestness of finishing their pieces, they often did them more harm than good. John Dryden, Dufresn.

ChatGPT

  1. earnestness

    Earnestness refers to the sincere and intense conviction or serious dedication towards something. It is characterized by a firm, wholehearted sense of purpose and commitment, often accompanied by a serious and thoughtful demeanor.

Webster Dictionary

  1. Earnestnessnoun

    the state or quality of being earnest; intentness; anxiety

Matched Categories

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How to say earnestness in sign language?

Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of earnestness in Chaldean Numerology is: 5

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of earnestness in Pythagorean Numerology is: 4

Examples of earnestness in a Sentence

  1. Confucius, The Confucian Analects:

    To be able to practice five things everywhere under heaven constitutes perfect virtue...[They are] gravity, generosity of soul, sincerity, earnestness, and kindness.

  2. Confucius:

    To be able to practice five things everywhere under heaven constitutes perfect virtue...They are gravity, generosity of soul, sincerity, earnestness, and kindness.

  3. Confucius:

    To be able under all circumstances to practice five things constitutes perfect virtue; these five things are gravity, generosity of soul, sincerity, earnestness and kindness.

  4. Oswald Chambers:

    Earnestness is not by any means everything; it is very often a subtle form of pious pride because it is obsessed with the method and not with the Master.

  5. Louisa May Alcott:

    Young men often laugh at the sensible girls whom they secretly respect, and affect to admire the silly ones whom they secretly despise, because earnestness, intelligence, and womanly dignity are not the fashion.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

earnestness#10000#67470#100000

Translations for earnestness

From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary

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"earnestness." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 Mar. 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/earnestness>.

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