earnest
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.showing that you are very serious and honest about your feelings or intentions.
adj.characterised by a sincere and intense conviction; showing deep sincerity and a lack of irony.
Simple“The student made an earnest effort to improve her grades before the final exam.”
In context“Despite his lack of experience, his earnest plea for a second chance convinced the committee to reconsider their initial decision.”
- 02 C1 Advanced
n.used in the phrase 'in earnest' to mean that someone is being serious rather than joking.
n.a state of being serious or sincere; almost exclusively used in the prepositional phrase 'in earnest'.
Simple“The work began in earnest once the funding was finally approved.”
In context“What had started as a light-hearted debate began in earnest as the participants realised the legal implications of the policy.”
UsageUsually appears in the fixed phrase 'in earnest'.
Synonyms - 03 C2 Proficiency
n.something given as a sign or promise that more will come later, like a small payment.
n.a portion of something, such as a sum of money, given in advance as a guarantee or pledge of more to follow.
Simple“They paid a small amount as an earnest of their intention to buy the house.”
In context“The initial shipment was merely an earnest of the vast resources the empire promised to provide to its allies.”
UsageOften used in the phrase 'earnest money' in legal contexts.
“She turns on the mid-stage and leans sort of forward as she sings Past Life, a move to communicate her earnest romantic pain, a plea for empathy.”
“Berry’s Christianity-infused agrarianism began in earnest in the 1970s and helped popularize family-run farms, organic farming and farm-to-table eating establishments.”
From Middle English ernest, eornest, from Old English eornest, eornost, eornust (“earnestness, zeal, seriousness, battle”), from Proto-Germanic ernustuz (“earnest, strength, solidity, struggle, fight”), a derivative of Proto-Germanic arniz (“efficient, capable, diligent, sure”), from Proto-Indo-European *er- (“to cause to move, arouse, increase”). Cognate with West Frisian earnst (“earnest, seriousness”), Dutch ernst (“seriousness, gravity, earnest”), German Ernst (“seriousness, earnestness, zeal, vigour”), Icelandic ern (“brisk, vigorous”), Gothic 𐌰𐍂𐌽𐌹𐌱𐌰 (arniba, “secure, certain, sure”). The adjective is from Middle English eornest, from Old English eornoste (“earnest, zealous, serious”), from the noun. Cognate with North Frisian ernste (“earnest”), Middle Low German ernest, ernst (“serious, earnest”), German ernst (“serious, earnest”).
Uncertain; apparently related to erres. Compare also arles.
From earn + -est.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.