EARNESTLY

seriously, earnestly, in earnest

(adverb) in a serious manner; ā€œtalking earnestly with his sonā€; ā€œshe started studying snakes in earnestā€; ā€œa play dealing seriously with the question of divorceā€

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology

Adverb

earnestly (comparative more earnestly, superlative most earnestly)

In an earnest manner; being very sincere; putting forth genuine effort.

Synonyms

• for real; see also honestly

Source: Wiktionary


Ear"nest*ly, adv.

Definition: In an earnest manner.

EARNEST

Ear"nest, n. Etym: [AS. eornost, eornest; akin to OHG. ernust, G. ernst; cf. Icel. orrosta battle, perh. akin to Gr. oriri to rise.]

Definition: Seriousness; reality; fixed determination; eagerness; intentness. Take heed that this jest do not one day turn to earnest. Sir P. Sidney. And given in earnest what I begged in jest. Shak. In earnest, serious; seriously; not in jest; earnestly.

Ear"nest, a.

1. Ardent in the pursuit of an object; eager to obtain or do; zealous with sincerity; with hearty endeavor; heartfelt; fervent; hearty; -- used in a good sense; as, earnest prayers. An earnest advocate to plead for him. Shak.

2. Intent; fixed closely; as, earnest attention.

3. Serious; important. [Obs.] They whom earnest lets do often hinder. Hooker.

Syn.

– Eager; warm; zealous; ardent; animated; importunate; fervent; sincere; serious; hearty; urgent. See Eager.

Ear"nest, v. t.

Definition: To use in earnest. [R.] To earnest them [our arms] with men. Pastor Fido (1602).

Ear"nest, n. Etym: [Prob. corrupted fr. F. arrhes, L. arra, arrha, arrhabo, Gr. ; or perh. fr. W. ernes, akin to Gael. earlas, perh. fr. L. arra. Cf. Arles, Earles penny.]

1. Something given, or a part paid beforehand, as a pledge; pledge; handsel; a token of what is to come. Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts. 2 Cor. i. 22. And from his coffers Received the golden earnest of our death. Shak.

2. (Law)

Definition: Something of value given by the buyer to the seller, by way of token or pledge, to bind the bargain and prove the sale. Kent. Ayliffe. Benjamin. Earnest money (Law), money paid as earnest, to bind a bargain or to ratify and prove a sale.

Syn.

– Earnest, Pledge. These words are here compared as used in their figurative sense. Earnest is not so strong as pledge. An earnest, like first fruits, gives assurance, or at least a high probability, that more is coming of the same kind; a pledge, like money deposited, affords security and ground of reliance for the future. Washington gave earnest of his talent as commander by saving his troops after Braddock's defeat; his fortitude and that of his soldiers during the winter at Valley Forge might rightly be considered a pledge of their ultimate triumph.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

26 February 2025

ACRIMONIOUS

(adjective) marked by strong resentment or cynicism; ā€œan acrimonious disputeā€; ā€œbitter about the divorceā€


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Coffee Trivia

The average annual yield from one coffee tree is the equivalent of 1 to 1 1/2 pounds of roasted coffee. It takes about 4,000 hand-picked green coffee beans to make a pound of coffee.

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