in earnest

ear·nest ¹  (ûrnst)

adj.

1. Marked by or showing deep sincerity or seriousness: an earnest gesture of goodwill.

2. Of an important or weighty nature; grave. See Synonyms at serious.

Idiom:

in earnest

1. With a purposeful or sincere intent: settled down to study in earnest for the examination.

2. Serious; determined: "Both sides are deeply in earnest, with passions that approximate those of civil war" (Conor Cruise O'Brien).

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[Middle English ernest, from Old English eornoste; see er-¹ in Indo-European roots.]

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earnest·ly adv.

earnest·ness n.

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ear·nest ²  (ûrnst)

n.

1. Money paid in advance as part payment to bind a contract or bargain.

2. A token of something to come; a promise or an assurance.

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[Middle English ernest, variant of ernes, alteration of Old French erres, pl. of erre, pledge, from Latin arra, alteration of arrab, from Greek arrabn, earnest-money, of Canaanite origin; see rb in Semitic roots.]

Thesaurus

Adv.

1.

in earnest - in a serious manner; "talking earnestly with his son"; "she started studying snakes in earnest"; "a play dealing seriously with the question of divorce" earnestly, seriously