in earnest

2 definitions found

in earnest - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  Earnest \Ear"nest\ ([~e]r"n[e^]st), n. [AS. eornost, eornest;
     akin to OHG. ernust, G. ernst; cf. Icel. orrosta battle,
     perh. akin to Gr. 'orny`nai to excite, L. oriri to rise.]
     Seriousness; reality; fixed determination; eagerness;
     intentness.
     [1913 Webster]
  
           Take heed that this jest do not one day turn to
           earnest.                                 --Sir P.
                                                    Sidney.
     [1913 Webster]
  
           And given in earnest what I begged in jest. --Shak.
     [1913 Webster]
  
     In earnest, serious; seriously; not in jest; earnestly.
        [1913 Webster]

in earnest - WordNet (r) 2.1 (2005) :

  in earnest
      adv 1: in a serious manner; "talking earnestly with his son";
             "she started studying snakes in earnest"; "a play dealing
             seriously with the question of divorce" [syn:
             seriously, earnestly, in earnest]