gently vs in earnest

gently

adv
  • In a gentle manner; to a gentle degree. 

  • Without strong force or quickness: softly, lightly. 

  • From a gentle or high-class family. 

  • Quietly: without much noise or motion. 

in earnest

adv
  • Having a sincere intent. 

  • With considerable commitment, determination, or effect; significantly. 

adj
  • Sincere; determined; truthful. 

How often have the words gently and in earnest occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )