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WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2024ear•nest1 /ˈɜrnɪst/USA pronunciation adj. - serious in intention, purpose, or action:The earnest young man had no use for jokes.
- seriously important;
grave:an earnest request for forgiveness.
Idioms- in earnest, in full seriousness:Work began in earnest as the deadline approached.
ear•nest•ly, adv. ear•nest•ness, n. [uncountable] WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2024ear•nest1 (ûr′nist),USA pronunciation adj. - 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.
n. - full seriousness, as of intention or purpose:to speak in earnest.
- bef. 1000; Middle English erneste, Old English eornoste (adjective, adjectival); Middle English ernest, Old English eornost (noun, nominal); cognate with Dutch, German ernest
- 1.See corresponding entry in Unabridged 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.
- 1.See corresponding entry in Unabridged frivolous.
ear•nest2 (ûr′nist),USA pronunciation n. - a portion of something, given or done in advance as a pledge of the remainder.
- LawSee earnest money.
- anything that gives pledge, promise, or indication of what is to follow.
- Semitic (compare Hebrew ‘ ērābhōn security, pledge). Cf. arras2
- Greek arrhabó̄n
- Latin arr(h)a short for arr(h)abō (perh. by taking -bō as a future tense ending)
- Middle English ernes(t), alteration of Old French erres, plural of erre earnest money 1175–1225
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