earnest

Meanings

Noun

• Gravity; serious purpose; earnestness.
• Seriousness; reality; actuality (as opposed to joking or pretence)
• A sum of money paid in advance as a deposit; hence, a pledge, a guarantee, an indication of something to come.

Verb

• To be serious with; use in earnest.

Adjective

• Serious or honest
• Focused in the pursuit of an objective; eager to obtain or do.
• Intent; focused; showing a lot of concentration.
• Possessing or characterised by seriousness.
• Strenuous; diligent.
• Serious; weighty; of a serious, weighty, or important nature; important.

Origin

• From Middle English ernest, eornest, from Old English eornest, eornost, eornust, 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 ("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, German ernst ("serious, earnest").
• Of uncertain origin; apparently related to erres. Compare also arles.
• earn + -est