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
-
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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"Macbeth" Vocabulary from Act I
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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.
A person who’s earnest about learning a language is forever trying to decipher something new, failing far more often than succeeding in the early going — yet always working to master the task.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2026
This breezy romp is a refreshing change from overwrought epics and anxiously earnest stories-with-a-message; Ibbotson’s offbeat, cozy prose reads like a daffier Ms. Rowling or a kinder Roald Dahl.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 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
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 goddess met her gaze in earnest before taking Koffi's hand and squeezing gently.
From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray
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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.
