earnestness

From earnest +‎ -ness.

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈɝnɪstnəs/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈɜːnɪstnəs/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Hyphenation: ear‧nest‧ness

earnestness (countable and uncountable, plural earnestnesses)

1. The quality of being earnest; sincerity; seriousness.
   • 22 March 2012, Scott Tobias, AV Club The Hunger Games[1]

     She’s joined, on the boys’ side, by Peeta (Josh Hutcherson), a baker’s son whose earnestness masks a gift for strategy that Katniss lacks.

• easternness