earnest
/ˈɜːnɪst/adjective
Meaning what you say and treating things seriously, with no joking or pretending.
Example sentences
- “The earnest young volunteer listened carefully to every instruction.”
- “He made an earnest promise to pay back the money by June.”
- “They had a long, earnest talk about their future together.”
It can suggest someone is a little too serious: an earnest student. The phrase 'in earnest' means for real or with full effort, and the adverb is 'earnestly'.