I. ear ‧ nest 1 /ˈɜːnəst, ˈɜːnɪst $ ˈɜːr-/ BrE AmE adjective
[ Language: Old English ; Origin: eornost ]
very serious and sincere:
a rather earnest young man
Matthews was in earnest conversation with a young girl.
an earnest desire to offer something useful to society
earnest expression/look/voice etc
earnest attempt/effort etc
—earnestly adverb :
earnestly discussing politics
—earnestness noun [uncountable]
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THESAURUS
■ not joking
▪ serious not joking or laughing, or not pretending:
His voice sounded serious.
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They seem to be serious about their relationship.
▪ solemn very serious because of an important or sad occasion or ceremony:
My father looked solemn, the way grown-ups look at funerals.
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The judge read the verdict in a solemn voice.
▪ grave written quiet and very serious – used especially about the way people look when something important or worrying happens:
She consulted Doctor Staples and returned looking grave.
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He listened with a grave expression on his face.
▪ sombre British English ( also somber American English ) /ˈsɒmbə $ ˈsɑːmbər/ written sad, quiet, or serious because something unpleasant or worrying has happened or is going to happen:
They sat in sombre silence.
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The meeting began in a sombre mood.
▪ earnest very serious and sincere – often used about someone who is young and not very experienced:
He was a rather earnest-looking young man.
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‘That’s wrong,’ she said, her voice sounding very earnest.
II. earnest 2 BrE AmE noun
1 . in earnest if something starts happening in earnest, it begins properly – used when it was happening in a small or informal way before:
On Monday your training begins in earnest!
2 . be in earnest to really mean what you are saying, especially when expressing an intention or wish:
She wasn’t sure whether he was in earnest or not.
be in dead/deadly/complete earnest
Although he smiled, Ashley knew he was in deadly earnest.