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, noun

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.
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, noun

Word 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.