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Earnest

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earnest¹

  • /ˈɝ.nɪst/ US
  • /ˈɜː.nɪst/ UK

Sounds like Ernest

Where it comes from

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”).

noun

  1. uncountable Gravity; serious purpose; earnestness. Take heed that this jest do not one day turn to earnest.
  2. uncountable Seriousness; reality; actuality (as opposed to joking or pretence)

verb earnests · earnesting · earnested

  1. transitive To be serious with; use in earnest. Let's prove among ourselves our armes in jest, That when we come to earnest them with men, We may them better use.

adjective earnester · more earnest · earnestest · most earnest

  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
  6. Serious; weighty; of a serious, weighty, or important nature; important.

earnest²

  • /ˈɝ.nɪst/ US
  • /ˈɜː.nɪst/ UK

Sounds like Ernest

Where it comes from

Uncertain; apparently related to erres. Compare also arles.

noun earnests

  1. 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.

earnest³

  • /ˈɝ.nɪst/ US
  • /ˈɜː.nɪst/ UK

Sounds like Ernest

Where it comes from

From earn + -est.

verb

  1. archaic, indicative, present, second person, singular second-person singular simple present indicative of earn

Earnest⁴

proper noun

  1. A male given name from the Germanic languages, of occasional usage, variant of Ernest.

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