earnest
1 Americanadjective
-
serious and zealous in intention, purpose, or effort.
an earnest worker.
- Synonyms:
- ambitious, industrious, determined, purposeful, intent, fervent
- Antonyms:
- frivolous
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showing depth and sincerity of feeling.
earnest words; an earnest entreaty.
-
seriously important; demanding or receiving serious attention.
noun
noun
-
a portion of something, given or done in advance as a pledge of the remainder.
-
Law. earnest money.
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anything that gives pledge, promise, or indication of what is to follow.
adjective
-
serious in mind or intention
an earnest student
-
showing or characterized by sincerity of intention
an earnest promise
-
demanding or receiving serious attention
noun
-
seriousness
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with serious or sincere intentions
noun
-
a part or portion of something given in advance as a guarantee of the remainder
-
Also called: earnest money. contract law something given, usually a nominal sum of money, to confirm a contract
-
any token of something to follow; pledge; assurance
Synonym Usage
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.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of earnest1
First recorded before 1000; Middle English erneste, Old English eornoste (adjective); Middle English ernest, Old English eornost (noun); cognate with Dutch, German ernest
Origin of earnest2
First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English ernes(t), alteration of Old French erres, plural of erre “earnest money,” from Latin arr(h)a, short for arr(h)abō (perhaps by misunderstanding -bō as a future tense ending; cf. placebo ( def. )), from Greek arrhabṓn, from Semitic (compare Hebrew ʿērāvôn “security, pledge”); cf. arras 2
Explanation
If you are earnest, it means you are serious about something. Your parents might not want you to drop out of school to follow some fly-by-night dream, but if you're earnest about wanting a career in show biz, they'll support you. If you are earnest, you pursue your purpose in a steady, sincere, and eager way. The phrase in earnest uses earnest as a noun, as in, "Once you stop fooling around and start studying in earnest, you'll find you learn the material quickly." Oscar Wilde's classic play The Importance of Being Earnest plays on the fact that Ernest is also a man's name.
Vocabulary lists containing earnest
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List 1
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Nov. 2: The first five days after the conclusion of the World Series are a “quiet period,” when teams have exclusive rights to negotiate with their free agents, before free agency opens in earnest.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 30, 2026
And Lagarde’s departure will kick off one of the most significant leadership shake-ups in the central bank’s history, with jockeying to succeed her beginning in earnest on Thursday.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026
A lanky 44-year-old who painted himself as an earnest advocate for taxpayer efficiency, Sand has tried to conjure up a public perception as half Atticus Finch, half youth pastor.
From Slate ● Oct. 26, 2026
After a tumultuous week for tech stocks, the artificial-intelligence trade faces another test as companies begin reporting their third-quarter results in earnest next week.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 17, 2026
“Nonsense! I’m in earnest; I mean what I say. Let Mrs. Pontellier alone.”
From "The Awakening" by Kate Chopin
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
