DictionaryAI

earnest

SayUR-nist/ˈɝ.nɪst/UK/ˈɜː.nɪst/

Noun pluralearnests (some meanings)

7 meanings of earnest

Practice

  1. 1
    sincereadjective
    Serious and sincere in manner or intent, especially of words or actions; free of pretense.

    The senator's earnest speech about veterans moved even her critics.

    Despite his earnest tone, nobody believed the excuse.

    UsageUsually praise, but a bit earnest or too earnest suggests someone humorless or naive.

    Similargenuine, unfeigned, heartfelt

    Oppositeinsincere, flippant, frivolous

  2. 2
    noununcountable
    Seriousness of purpose or manner, as opposed to joking or pretense; used mainly in the phrase 'in earnest'.

    The drills were over, and this time the alarm was in earnest.

    What the two actors staged as a mock duel became a quarrel in earnest backstage.

  3. 3
    pledgenouncountable
    A sum paid in advance as a deposit; hence, a pledge or guarantee, or a sign of what is to come.

    The developer took the zoning vote as an earnest of the city's support for the project.

    If the buyers back out without cause, the seller may keep their earnest money.

    UsageIn house buying the deposit is called earnest money; otherwise usually an earnest of something to come.

    Similarpledge, token, guarantee, deposit

    Note

    This is a different word from the earnest of seriousness: its origin is uncertain, though it seems related to the old word erres. Beyond money paid down, it names anything given now as a pledge of more, and it usually takes of, as in the King James Bible's "the earnest of the Spirit" or Peter Hopkirk's "an earnest of St Petersburg's future good intentions".

    Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 3 facts

    • The deposit sense has a different origin from the seriousness sense; its origin is uncertain but apparently related to erres. en.wiktionary.org
    • The King James Bible contains the phrase "the earnest of the Spirit". en.wikisource.org
    • Peter Hopkirk uses the quoted phrase in The Great Game. en.wiktionary.org
  4. 4
    really wantingadjective
    Honestly eager to obtain or do something, and focused on pursuing that aim.

    After years of renting, they were earnest about buying a home before the baby arrived.

    She was earnest in her desire to study medicine, whatever the cost.

    UsageYou are earnest about something or earnest in your wish to do it.

    Similarfervent, sincere, ardent

    Oppositehalfhearted, insincere

  5. 5
    adjective
    Showing intense, steady effort or concentration; done with determination and close attention.

    Despite earnest efforts on both sides, the talks collapsed.

    The volunteers kept up an earnest search of the woods until nightfall.

    UsageCommon before effort words: earnest efforts, an earnest search, earnest practice.

    Similardetermined, serious, intense, concerted, diligent

    Oppositehalfhearted, perfunctory, casual, cursory

Less common meanings

  1. 6
    verbobsoletetransitive
    To be serious with something, or to use it in earnest rather than in play.
    Let's prove among ourselves our armes in jest, That when we come to earnest them with men, We may them better use.
    1602, Pastor Fido
    Note

    Here the old pairing of jest and earnest becomes a verb that takes an object. In the 1602 English Pastor Fido, arms are first proved "among ourselves" in jest, so that they may be better used when the time comes "to earnest them with men".

    Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 2 facts

    • The English translation of Pastor Fido was first published in 1602. gutenberg.org
    • The passage contrasts proving arms among themselves in jest with subsequently using them in earnest with men; both quoted excerpts are accurate. en.wiktionary.org
  2. 7
    adjectivearchaic
    Serious and weighty in nature; important.

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of earnest apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origins

Meanings 1–2, 4–6

*er-, a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to cause to move, arouse, increase," is perhaps where Proto-Germanic got *arniz, meaning "efficient, capable, diligent, sure," and *ernustuz ("earnest, strength, solidity, struggle, fight") was derived from that. It became Old English eornest ("earnestness, zeal, seriousness, battle") and then Middle English ernest. Dutch ernst ("seriousness, gravity") and German Ernst ("seriousness, zeal, vigor") are cognates. The adjective was formed from the noun as Old English eornoste ("earnest, zealous, serious"), later Middle English eornest. Compare German ernst ("serious, earnest").

Meaning 3

Origin uncertain. It seems to be connected with Old French erres and Scots arles, both meaning money paid to seal a bargain.