earnest

/ˈɜːrnɪst/

serious and sincere, without irony

earnest in a sentence

“Write the apology earnest and plain — no jokes, no hedges.”

Old English eornoste zealous, serious

Related Words

breezy

casual, light, effortlessly informal

jaunty

bouncy, confident cheerfulness

understated

deliberately restrained; saying less than you could

measured

careful, unhurried, deliberate

colloquial

belonging to everyday speech rather than formal writing

plainspoken

direct and unadorned