Earnest Definition & Meaning | Britannica Dictionary (original) (raw)

Britannica Dictionary definition of EARNEST

[more earnest; most earnest]

:

serious and sincere

:

not lighthearted or playful

• an earnest plea for help

• an earnest young journalist

• speaking earnestly

— earnestness

/ˈɚnəstnəs/

noun

[noncount]

Britannica Dictionary definition of EARNEST

in earnest

1

:

in an earnest or serious way

• The search began in earnest when the police arrived.
• It began to rain in earnest [=_heavily_] in the evening.
• It's hard to tell if he's making this proposal in earnest.

2

:

not fooling

:

serious and sincere

• We thought he was joking at first, but then we realized that he was in earnest. [=he was being serious]

— compare for real at 1real