in earnest

1. With purposeful or sincere intent, as in We settled down to study in earnest . [c. a.d. 1000]

2. 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

“Bank lending begins in earnest once that short curve turns positive, and we could begin to see that sooner than next summer,” Blitz said via phone.

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“I think these are conversations that will happen in earnest, on many policies, post-election.”

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Earnings season kicked off in earnest today, as some of Wall Street’s heaviest hitters delivered relatively strong results.

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And it looks like the third quarter is shaping up to be another strong one for corporate earnings, which begin in earnest tomorrow morning.

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The third-quarter earnings season, which kicks off in earnest next week, is likely to have a greater impact on markets in the absence of major economic data releases, investors say.

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Related Words

• actively 
• earnestly 
• passionately 
• sincerely 
• vigorously