earnest

Study(16)

/ˈɝ.nɪst/

adj 5noun 3verb 1name 1

Collocations

ADJ.

dead, due, full, threatened, young

VERB + EARNEST

began, came, come, coming, given, negotiated, rain, raining

EARNEST + NOUN

attention, begg'd, efforts, man, men, occupation, person, prayers

PREP.

about, down, in, in, with, with

ADV.

sometimes, tremendously

Definitions

noun

Gravity; serious purpose; earnestness.

Take heed that this jest do not one day turn to earnest.

That high All-Seer which I dallied with / Hath turn'd my feigned prayer on my head / And given in earnest what I begg'd in jest.

Seriousness; reality; actuality (as opposed to joking or pretence)

verb

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.

adj

Serious, sincere, ingenuous.

Focused in the pursuit of an objective; honestly eager to obtain or do.

earnest prayers

Intent; focused; showing a lot of concentration.

earnest attention

Possessing or characterised by seriousness.

an earnest disposition

Strenuous; diligent.

earnest efforts

Thesaurus

Synonyms

adjective — not distracted by anything unrelated to the goal

businesslike

adjective — characterized by a firm and humorless belief in the validity

adjective — sincerely earnest

dear
devout
heartfelt

Antonyms

Idioms & Phrases

Example Bank

Take heed that this jest do not one day turn to earnest.

Wiktionary

That high All-Seer which I dallied with / Hath turn'd my feigned prayer on my head / And given in earnest what I begg'd in jest.

Wiktionary

1914, February 13, The Times, Obituary: Canon Augustus Jessopp He wrote well in a forcible, colloquial style, with the air of being tremendously in earnest, and full of knowledge which overflowed his

Wiktionary

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

Wiktionary

earnest prayers

Wiktionary

earnest attention

Wiktionary

Usage Notes

Your note

not saved

0 chars