Earnest Definition

ûrnĭst
adjective
earnester
Showing or expressing sincerity or seriousness.
An earnest gesture of goodwill.
American Heritage
Serious and intense; not joking or playful; sincere, ardent, etc.
Webster's New World

Serious in speech or action; eager; urgent; importunate; pressing; instant.

Wiktionary

Ardent in the pursuit of an object; eager to obtain or do; zealous with sincerity; with hearty endeavour; heartfelt; fervent; hearty; — used in a good sense; as, earnest prayers.

Wiktionary
Possessing or characterised by seriousness; strongly bent; intent.
An earnest disposition.
Wiktionary
noun
Earnest money.
American Heritage
Money given as a part payment and pledge in binding a bargain.
Webster's New World
Something given or done as an indication or assurance of what is to come; token.
Webster's New World
Wiktionary

Seriousness; reality; actuality (as opposed to jesting or feigned appearance); fixed determination; eagerness; intentness.

Wiktionary
verb

To be serious with; use in earnest.

Wiktionary
pronoun

A male given name, an occasional spelling variant of Ernest.

Wiktionary

Other Word Forms of Earnest

Noun

Singular:
earnest
Plural:
earnests

Adjective

Base Form:
earnest
Comparative:
earnester

Idioms, Phrasal Verbs Related to Earnest

Origin of Earnest

  • From Middle English ernest, eornest, from Old English eornest, eornost, eornust (“earnestness, zeal, seriousness, battle”), from Proto-Germanic *ernustuz (“earnest, strength, solidity, struggle, fight”), a derivative of Proto-Germanic *arniz (“efficient, capable, diligent, sure”), from Proto-Indo-European *er- (“to cause to move, arouse, increase”). Cognate with West Frisian earnst (“earnest, seriousness”), Dutch ernst (“seriousness, gravity, earnest”), German Ernst (“seriousness, earnestness, zeal, vigour”), Icelandic ern (“brisk, vigorous”), Gothic [script?] (arniba, “secure, certain, sure”).

    From Wiktionary

  • From Middle English eornest, from Old English eornoste (“earnest, zealous, serious”), from eornost ("earnest", the noun; see above). Cognate with North Frisian ernste (“earnest”), Middle Low German ernest, ernst (“serious, earnest”), German ernst (“serious, earnest”).

    From Wiktionary

  • Middle English ernest variant of ernes alteration of Old French erres pl. of erre pledge from Latin arra alteration of arrabō from Greek arrabōn earnest-money of Canaanite origin ʕrb in Semitic roots

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • Middle English ernest from Old English eornoste er-1 in Indo-European roots

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • Of uncertain origin; apparently related to erres. Compare also arles.

    From Wiktionary

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earnest