earnest

Meanings

1. 1
   adj

   Serious and sincere in what you say or do.

   She made an earnest effort to finish the project on time.

2. 2
   adj

   Very determined and willing to work hard to achieve something.

   He is an earnest student who never misses a class.

3. 3
   noun

   Serious intention, especially in the phrase 'in earnest'.

   After the holidays, work on the new building began in 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 𐌰𐍂𐌽𐌹𐌱𐌰 (arniba, “secure, certain, sure”). T…

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