in earnest
Idioms-
With purposeful or sincere intent, as in We settled down to study in earnest . [c. a.d. 1000]
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Also, in dead earnest . Serious, determined, as in We thought he was joking, but he was in earnest , or I'm in dead earnest about selling the business . In the variant, from the late 1800s, dead means “completely” or “thoroughly” and is used purely for emphasis. [c. a.d. 1000]
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.
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
The activists may argue that the post was not in earnest, and that no one involved ever seriously intended to bring pills into Texas.
From Slate ● Oct. 16, 2026
The rain began lashing Turkey's largest city in earnest on Wednesday morning and intensified throughout the day, causing chaos and flash flooding, with footage showing cars being dragged away by the fast-flowing waters.
From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2026
When black enlistment began in earnest in 1863, Shaw did not campaign to lead a unit of black soldiers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026
As I wove my way through the sleepy streets toward what would soon be the infamous Griffin’s Wharf, I started my search for the Butterfly in earnest.
From "Glitch" by Laura Martin
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
