earnestness
/ˈəːnɪs(t)nəs
/noun [mass noun]
Sincere and intense conviction: he tells his story with intense earnestness the deadly earnestness of the conversation...
- All these folks bring a serious earnestness to their roles, which nicely matches the show's overall tone.
- Yeah, I'm a cynic, but I don't doubt the earnestness of our heroes.
- I was one of those city editors, and I well recall his great earnestness, amounting almost to moral indignation.