earnestness
真剣さ
解説 Definition
物事に対して真面目で誠実に取り組む姿勢や心構え。
Earnestness is a serious, sincere, and honest way of feeling or speaking. It often describes strong effort, belief, or intention without joking or pretending. The word gives a positive sense of real commitment.
覚え方のコツ Memory Tip
まず形で分けると earnest + -ness。-ness は kind→kindness, happy→happiness と同じ「〜さ」なので、「earnest という性質＝真剣さ」と取れる。earnest は serious に近いが、単に重苦しい・深刻というより、誠実に本気で向き合う感じが強い。an earnest effort, with great earnestness, speak with earnestness のように、努力・態度・話し方のまじめさで出やすい。seriousness と迷ったら、「空気が重い」のではなく「心がこもっている」のが earnestness。
Break it into earnest + -ness. The ending -ness turns an adjective into a quality, so earnestness is the quality of being earnest. It is close to seriousness, but it often suggests sincere, heartfelt effort, as in an earnest effort or speaking with earnestness.
例文
Her earnestness in pursuing social justice inspired many young activists.
社会正義を追求する彼女の真剣さは、多くの若い活動家を鼓舞した。
The earnestness in his voice made it clear he was not joking.
彼の声の真剣さから、冗談を言っているのではないことが明らかだった。
I was moved by the earnestness with which the student presented her research.
その学生が研究を発表する真剣さに感動した。
earnestness の類義語・関連語
派生語
earnestness の語源・成り立ち Etymology
earnestness は古英語 eornost「本気・熱意」に、名詞化の接尾辞 -ness が付いた語です。もともと「心が強く向いている真面目さ」を表し、earnest や earnestly、ドイツ語 Ernst と同系です。
Earnestness comes from earnest + -ness. Earnest comes from Old English eornost, meaning serious purpose or strong intention, and it is related to German Ernst. The word has kept the idea of inward seriousness and focused feeling over time.
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