earnest waiting

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "earnest waiting" is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
It can be used to refer to a situation where one is eager to find out a certain outcome, or to emphasize the eagerness of the wait for something. For example: "The students' parents had been through many months of earnest waiting for their children's test results."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

Fresh information about Mr. Awlaki's location surfaced about three weeks ago, allowing the C.I.A. to track him in earnest, waiting for an opportunity to strike with minimal risks to civilians, American officials said.

The New York Times

All the romantic standbys are there: Ti Moune's earnest "Waiting for Life," which echoes "Something's Coming" from "West Side Story"; "Human Heart," which is the show's syrupy ode to young love; and the obligatory bouncy traveling song, which in this case is "Mama Will Provide," belted out by the Mother Earth character, Soara-Joye Ross. Soara-Joye Ross

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

Long the preserve of earnest Americans waiting for their big break on Saturday Night Live, the idea of a bunch of people who consider themselves "top lol" improvising funny situations is enough to bring me to tears via cringe.

Vice

Commuting by boat, he awakened the cultural life of a generation of children -- and their parents -- leading them through productions of plays that ranged from "The Importance of Being Earnest" to "Waiting for Godot".

The New York Times - Books

The scene shifts to a cold waiting room where six likable and earnest young strivers are waiting to take a test to see if they qualify to serve.

The New York Times

City buses, the only piece of the mass transit network operating in earnest on Wednesday, often bypassed waiting commuters, unable to take on more passengers.

The New York Times

The cable channel, which has been suffering historically low ratings, faces long months of waiting before the commencement in earnest of the presidential election season, with its promise of an expanded audience for the station's progressive political content.

The Guardian

Mr. Brown, who has no credible Democratic opponent, has sat largely on mute on the sidelines, holding on to his campaign cash and waiting for Wednesday, when the outsider/insider battle begins in earnest statewide.

The New York Times

Analysts said Wall Street was waiting to see whether the company reports that begin in earnest today provide any evidence that the weak economy is stabilizing.

The New York Times

She chided herself for not having timed her pregnancy to give birth soon after April to get a high spot on waiting lists — a strategy recommended on chat sites filled with earnest posts on strategies to get into day care.

The New York Times

That's why in markets like New York, they've laid the groundwork, but are waiting on rules to be spelled out before launching in earnest.

TechCrunch

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When aiming for more formal prose, you can replace the phrase with words like “anticipation” or “expectation”. For example: “earnest anticipation” or “earnest expectation”.

Common error

Avoid overusing "earnest waiting" in contexts that do not warrant a high degree of sincerity or seriousness. Using it for trivial matters can dilute its impact and appear melodramatic.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "earnest waiting" functions as a descriptive phrase where 'earnest' modifies 'waiting', which acts as a gerund. It denotes a state of sincere and intense anticipation. As Ludwig AI indicates, this usage is grammatically correct.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Academia

50%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Science

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "earnest waiting" is a grammatically correct phrase used to describe a state of sincere and intense anticipation. While relatively rare in its usage, as noted by Ludwig, it effectively conveys a sense of heartfelt expectation, particularly in formal or literary contexts. Its primary function is to add emphasis to the emotional state of anticipation. The phrase can be replaced by near alternatives such as "sincere anticipation" or "earnestly anticipating" to achieve similar effects, with slight differences in nuance.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

earnestly anticipating

Maintains the "earnest" aspect while using a different word for waiting.

genuinely awaiting

Emphasizes the authenticity of the anticipation.

eagerly awaiting

Highlights the excitement associated with the waiting.

sincerely looking forward to

Expresses genuine positive expectation.

intensely anticipating

Highlights the high degree of anticipation.

sincere anticipation

Replaces "waiting" with a noun emphasizing the feeling of looking forward to something with honesty and genuineness.

with heartfelt anticipation

Adds an emotional depth to the expression of waiting.

fervently expecting

Implies a passionate and intense level of anticipation.

earnestly hoping for

Shifts the focus slightly to the desired outcome rather than the act of waiting.

deeply yearning for

Conveys a profound sense of longing during the waiting period.

FAQs

How can I use "earnest waiting" in a sentence?

You can use "earnest waiting" to describe a period of anticipation where the person is genuinely and sincerely looking forward to something. For example, "The family endured months of "earnest waiting" for news about their missing loved one".

What phrases are similar to "earnest waiting"?

Similar phrases include "sincere anticipation", "eagerly awaiting", and "earnestly anticipating". These alternatives convey a similar sense of heartfelt expectation.

What is the difference between "earnestly waiting" and "earnest waiting"?

While both phrases are similar, "earnestly waiting" emphasizes the act of waiting itself, while "earnest waiting" (with "waiting" as a gerund) functions more as a descriptive state of being in sincere anticipation.

Is "earnest waiting" formal or informal?

"Earnest waiting" can be used in both formal and informal contexts, depending on the surrounding language. However, its somewhat heightened emotional tone may make it more suited to formal or literary writing where expressing sincere emotion is appropriate.