/ ˈɜːnɪst; NAmE ˈɜːrn-/ adjective
very serious and sincere :
an earnest young man
Despite her earnest efforts, she could not find a job.
► earn·est·ly adverb
► earn·est·ness noun [ U ]
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IDIOMS
- in earnest
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WORD ORIGIN
Old English eornoste (adjective), eornost (noun), of Germanic origin; related to German Ernst (noun).