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.
Jefferies analysts project that “the race will accelerate in earnest this year,” if it hasn’t already.
From Barron's • Jun. 29, 2026
Equity-only put-call ratios continue to climb, as put buying has accompanied the selling that began in earnest last Friday.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 11, 2026
The 2026-27 campaign starts in earnest with the EFL Cup first round - which West Ham will be in - on 8-9 August.
From BBC • Jun. 9, 2026
Simply put, a lot of people need to be convinced before the AI revolution can happen in earnest.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 7, 2026
For a moment I can’t quite see right because of the snow, which is now coming down in earnest.
From "Catching Fire" by Suzanne Collins
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.
