What does "earnest" mean?
Gravity; serious purpose; earnestness.
Earnest
/ˈɝ.nɪst/ adj, name, noun, verb
adj, name, noun, verb ·Common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Gravity; serious purpose; earnestness.
- Grammar: earnest is listed as adj, name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: heartfelt, sincere, abandoned, acquitment.
- Useful contrasts: witty, acerbic, breach.
- Usage evidence: The rain is coming down in earnest.
How to use "earnest"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "earnest" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "earnest" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "earnest" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "earnest" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "earnest" is acting as adj, name, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "heartfelt" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
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Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "earnest", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Gravity; serious purpose; earnestness. uncountable
"Take heed that this jest do not one day turn to earnest."
- 2 A sum of money paid in advance as a deposit; hence, a pledge, a guarantee, an indication of something to come.
"Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit."
- 3 something of value given by one person to another to bind a contract wordnet
- 4 Seriousness; reality; actuality (as opposed to joking or pretence) uncountable
Verb
- 1 To be serious with; use in earnest. transitive
"Let's prove among ourselves our armes in jest, That when we come to earnest them with men, We may them better use."
- 2 second-person singular simple present indicative of earn archaic, form-of, indicative, present, second-person, singular
Adjective
- 1 Serious, sincere, ingenuous.
- 2 Focused in the pursuit of an objective; honestly eager to obtain or do.
"earnest prayers"
- 3 Intent; focused; showing a lot of concentration.
"earnest attention"
- 4 Possessing or characterised by seriousness.
"an earnest disposition"
- 5 Strenuous; diligent.
"earnest efforts"
Show 1 more definition
- 6 Serious; weighty; of a serious, weighty, or important nature; important.
Adjective
- 1 not distracted by anything unrelated to the goal wordnet
- 2 characterized by a firm and humorless belief in the validity of your opinions wordnet
- 3 sincerely earnest wordnet
Proper Noun
- 1 A male given name from the Germanic languages, of occasional usage, variant of Ernest.
Example
"The rain is coming down in earnest."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "earnest"?
Common synonyms include: heartfelt, sincere, abandoned, acquitment, acquittal, acquittance.
How do you use "earnest" in a sentence?
The rain is coming down in earnest.
How do you pronounce "earnest"?
Pronounced /ˈɝ.nɪst/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
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”). The adjective is from Middle English eornest, from Old English eornoste (“earnest, zealous, serious”), from the noun. Cognate with North Frisian ernste (“earnest”), Middle Low German ernest, ernst (“serious, earnest”), German ernst (“serious, earnest”).
Etymology 2
Uncertain; apparently related to erres. Compare also arles.
Etymology 3
From earn + -est.