What does “earnest” mean?
- 1
adjectivevery serious and sincere, sometimes too serious
He was an earnest young man who never told jokes.
Earnest at a glance
- Part of speech
- adjective
- CEFR level
- C2 (proficient)
- Pronunciation
- /ˈɝnɪst/ · UR-nist
How to use “earnest” correctly
“In earnest” means seriously or fully: “The work began in earnest in May.”
Common phrases with “earnest”
- in earnest
- an earnest attempt
- earnest desire
Synonyms, opposites and related words
Synonyms (similar meaning)
- serious
- sincere
- solemn
Antonyms (opposite meaning)
- frivolous
- flippant
Word family
- earnestly
- earnestness
“earnest” is on these word lists
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