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.
IBM is a storied tech giant, but it hasn’t been immune to a selloff that began in earnest at the start of the year.
From Barron's • Apr. 10, 2026
The software slump began in earnest at the start of the year, when months of underperformance culminated in a sweeping selloff.
From Barron's • Apr. 10, 2026
Development of its massive resources began in earnest in the 1980s.
From Salon • Mar. 21, 2026
The U.S. focused on Iran’s military and industrial power, and Israel went after the structures of internal control in earnest.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 18, 2026
“De nada,” Officer Mora said in earnest, as if he believed he had done his job.
From "The Book of Unknown Americans" by Cristina Henríquez
Definitions 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.
