earnest
Serious and truly meaning what you say.
earnest in a sentence
- In an earnest voice, Rosa promised her teacher she would never forget her homework again.
- With an earnest look, the knight swore he truly meant every word of his promise to the king.
Try an 11+ style question
Verbal reasoning papers often ask about a word like this.
Which word is closest in meaning to earnest?
- Ajoking
- Bplayful
- Ccareless
- Dserious
Show the answer
D: serious. The other three mean the opposite of earnest.
Which word is most nearly opposite in meaning to earnest?
- Ajoking
- Bserious
- Chonest
- Dkeen
Show the answer
A: joking. The other three mean nearly the same as earnest.
Words that mean something similar
serious, honest, keen
Words that mean the opposite
joking, playful, careless
More words about character & personality
- eccentric: Behaving in an odd but usually harmless way.
- eminent: Famous and highly respected.
- enterprise: The courage and energy to start new and difficult projects.
- ferocious: Fierce, wild and violent.
- fickle: Changing your mind often about what you like or want.
- fierce: Very aggressive, strong or wild.
- foe: An enemy, someone who is against you.
- formidable: So powerful or impressive that it makes people nervous.
More words to explore
Sitting the 11+ in Kent, Medway or Buckinghamshire?
Plain-English guides to each test, from the councils’ own pages: Kent Test · Medway Test · Bucks Secondary Transfer Test