earnest
n.n. serious and sincere about what you are doing or saying. You use this to describe someone who is not joking and truly means what they say.
n. characterised by an intense, sincere state of mind or a serious intent. Often describes a person's manner or a specific effort that lacks irony or cynicism.
She made an earnest effort to fix the mistake.
The young activist gave an earnest speech about the importance of protecting the local forest.
Despite his lack of experience, his earnest commitment to the project eventually won over the more cynical members of the board.
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.
Typically precedes the noun it modifies or follows a linking verb.