earnest
1
[ ur-nist ]
/ ˈɜr nɪst /
adjective
serious in intention, purpose, or effort; sincerely zealous: an earnest worker.
showing depth and sincerity of feeling: earnest words; an earnest entreaty.
seriously important; demanding or receiving serious attention.
noun
full seriousness, as of intention or purpose: to speak in earnest.
Origin of earnest
1
before 1000; Middle English
erneste, Old English
eornoste (adj.); Middle English
ernest, Old English
eornost (noun); cognate with Dutch, German
ernest
SYNONYMS FOR earnest
1
fervent,
intent,
purposeful,
determined,
industrious,
ambitious.
Earnest,
resolute,
serious,
sincere imply having qualities of depth and firmness.
Earnest implies having a purpose and being steadily and soberly eager in pursuing it:
an earnest student.
Resolute adds a quality of determination:
resolute in defending the right.
Serious implies having depth and a soberness of attitude that contrasts with gaiety and frivolity; it may include the qualities of both earnestness and resolution:
serious and thoughtful.
Sincere suggests genuineness, trustworthiness, and absence of superficiality:
a sincere interest in music.
OTHER WORDS FROM earnest
ear·nest·ly, adverb ear·nest·ness, nounWords nearby earnest
Definition for earnest (2 of 2)
earnest
2
[ ur-nist ]
/ ˈɜr nɪst /
noun
a portion of something, given or done in advance as a pledge of the remainder.
Law.
earnest money.
anything that gives pledge, promise, or indication of what is to follow.
Origin of earnest
2
1175–1225; Middle English
ernes(t), alteration of Old French
erres, plural of
erre earnest money < Latin
arr(h)a short for
arr(h)abō (perhaps by taking
-bō as a future tense ending) < Greek
arrhabṓn < Semitic (compare Hebrew
ʿērābhōn security, pledge). Cf.
arras2
Example sentences from the Web for earnest
British Dictionary definitions for earnest (1 of 2)
earnest
1
/ (ˈɜːnɪst) /
adjective
serious in mind or intention
an earnest student
showing or characterized by sincerity of intention
an earnest promise
demanding or receiving serious attention
noun
seriousness
in earnest
with serious or sincere intentions
Derived forms of earnest
earnestly, adverb earnestness, nounWord Origin for earnest
Old English
eornost; related to Old High German
ernust seriousness, Old Norse
ern energetic, efficient, Gothic
arniba secure
British Dictionary definitions for earnest (2 of 2)
earnest
2
/ (ˈɜːnɪst) /
noun
a part or portion of something given in advance as a guarantee of the remainder
Also called: earnest money contract law
something given, usually a nominal sum of money, to confirm a contract
any token of something to follow; pledge; assurance
Word Origin for earnest
C13: from Old French
erres pledges, plural of
erre earnest money, from Latin
arrha, shortened from
arrabō pledge, from Greek
arrabon, from Hebrew
`ērābhōn pledge, from
`ārabh he pledged
Idioms and Phrases with earnest
earnest
see in earnest.