Word
earnest
US/ˈɝnɪst/
UK/ˈɜːnəst/
Definitions
01serious and sincere
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.
Español:encarecido
“The student made an earnest effort to improve her grades before the final exam.”
“Despite his lack of experience, his earnest plea for a second chance convinced the committee to reconsider their initial decision.”
02in a serious way
C1 · Advanced Uncountable noun Formal
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'.
“The work began in earnest once the funding was finally approved.”
“What had started as a light-hearted debate began in earnest as the participants realised the legal implications of the policy.”
Usage
Usually appears in the fixed phrase 'in earnest'.
Synonyms
03a pledge or deposit
C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Law Formal · Archaic
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.
“They paid a small amount as an earnest of their intention to buy the house.”
“The initial shipment was merely an earnest of the vast resources the empire promised to provide to its allies.”
Usage
Often used in the phrase 'earnest money' in legal contexts.
Real-World Examples
“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.” Etymology
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.
Word family
ADJECTIVE
ADVERB
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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englishreference.com/q/earnest
Traducciones: Kaikki.org (Wiktionary), CC BY-SA 4.0